The Half Way House
by That Gryffindor Flame
Summary: When Sirius and Regulus Black run away from home, they go to the Half Way House, a safe home for those who have lost their family, or just have to get away. But there is a familiar Slytherin who's mother owns the Half-Way house, and soon, new friendships and who knows, maybe romance, will blossom. Because there are many different people, at the Half-Way house. Slash. Please REVIEW!
1. The Choice and the Train Ride Home

It had happened the last time he had gone to see Dumbledore over some stupid prank he had played. He didn't really know _how_ it had come to conversation, well he did, but he wasn't really sure what exactly had possessed him to start talking about it.

"Sirius you need to stop these pranks, you're in your fifth year, well, this is the end of your fifth year. Perhaps, it is time you grew up."

Sirius smiled somewhat happily, "I don't know Sir. I have a reputation to uphold."

The old Headmaster laughed, "But of course. You famous Marauders. It is Marauders, isn't it? The name you four boys call yourselves."

Sirius nodded enthusiastically, he was very proud of his and James' name for them. "Yes, Sir."

"Very well, I will let you off this time. But once more, and you have a detention with Professor Helden." Sirius cringed, "But really, we only have a few more days of term. I think you can stay out of trouble for that long, eh? You have, after all, had your end of O.W.L's party." Sirius smiled as Dumbledore winked. "Off you go."

Sirius hesitated, and Dumbledore lifted an eyebrow, "Unless there was something else you wanted, perhaps?"

"I just wondered… No student is allowed to stay during the summer, are they?"

"No, Mr Black, they are not. Why, may I ask?" Dumbledore questioned,

Sirius shrugged before replying, "I don't know Sir."

Dumbledore sighed, before guessing, "You don't want to go back to your own house with your parents because you don't share their extremist pureblood views. Regulus too."

Sirius gaped, "How did… But… You just…"

"Sirius your beliefs and your families aren't exactly classified."

"Right…" The Gryffindor shifted uncomfortably, "Course."

Dumbledore eyed him, "There is, of course, another option."

Sirius' head shot up, "What?" He asked, curious. Dumbledore leaned back against his desk chair, crossing his arms in his lap. Fawkes the Phoenix started humming a quiet tune.

"Sirius, have you ever heard of the Half-Way House?" Sirius shook his head, "It's a place where orphaned wizards and witches go, but they also accept those who are escaping from pureblood beliefs or simply just running away from home. It houses around twenty at the moment, and about fifteen of those go to Hogwarts presently, and more will be joining next term. It is run by a woman named Eileen. You and Regulus could go there."

"The Half-Way house?"

"That's right."

"And this Eileen is she… Nice?"

"She's looking after twenty kids out of the goodness of her heart, what do you think?"

Sirius smiled and nodded, "I'll talk to Reg about it, thank you Sir."

And he did talk to Reg about it; they discussed the options, talked more to Dumbledore and, finally, decided that they would go back home, stay only one night to collect their things, and then run in the middle of the night, to the Half-Way House.

And that is why Sirius Black, found himself sitting on the Hogwarts Express, going home for the summer, nervous. For tonight, while his parents slept, he and his little brother would be running.

"Hey, dude," James said, nudging him so he jumped, startled, "You ok?"

Sirius forced a smile, "I'm good Prongs." He told his friend, "Just… you know, excited for the summer and everything."

Obviously his lie wasn't that convincing, because James looked at him, slightly confused. Sirius turned his head away from his friends look to watch the countryside go by, slowly turning into city, "You sure?"

"Positive." Sirius replied immediately, he looked to the doors as someone knocked, everyone in the carriage but him groaned, and he shot them glares, "Hey little bro, what's up?"

None of Sirius' friends really liked Regulus Black. He was a mini image of Sirius, with the shaggy, dark long hair and blue eyes that so nearly could be as black and dark as their family name. But there was one crucial difference between the brothers. That being, their Hogwarts house. Whereas Sirius resided in the topmost tower, Gryffindor, Regulus lived in the dark dungeons, Slytherin.

"Can I talk to you Siri?" Regulus said quietly. Oh yer, and the fact that they had completely different personalities, may add to that. Quiet and shy was Regulus, loud and confident was Sirius.

"Course Reg," Sirius said brightly, pleased that Regulus had used the nickname in front of his friends, _huh_, he thought, _maybe now they will understand how close we are_. James snorted as Sirius got up; _or maybe not. _Sirius slid the compartment door behind him, and Peter slammed down the blinds inside. Sirius rolled his eyes at his friends antics before turning with a smile to Regulus. "So what's up?"

Regulus looked at him nervously, then stepped in to hug his brother, which Sirius immediately returned. "Will everything be ok?"

"Of course it's going to be ok Reg," Sirius whispered, "Why wouldn't it be?"

Regulus sniffed, "We're running away."

"We are."

"We're leaving mum and dad."

"Finally."

"Sirius," Regulus was pushing him away, "This is not a silly little joke anymore. I… We… How do you know we can do this? What if it goes wrong? What if they _catch_ us trying to get away? Where will we be then, huh!"

"Hey, hey," Sirius soothed, pulling Regulus back into a hug, "It's going to be ok, I promise you. I know it's not a joke. We've worked everything out, Dumbledore went through it with us a million times, there's no way it will go wrong or they will catch us. We won't ever be in that situation." He bent down to look Regulus in the eye, "We have to get out, you know that, don't you Reg?"

The younger boy nodded, "Yer, I know. Get out of an abusive family before your get stuck there forever. Can you image, being thirty-five or something and a prisoner in _that __house_?"

"I'd go mad." Sirius said; Regulus was quick to agree. They heard the brakes of the train screech. "Go back to your compartment, get your stuff, I'll meet you on the platform."

Regulus nodded and ran off down the train; Sirius sighed and watched him go. _So young. _He re-entered the compartment.

"What did _he_ want?" Peter said, his voice jeering as he pointed a thumb at the door.

"HE," Sirius said angrily, "Is my little brother and he has a NAME Peter. It's Regulus. Please use it."

"_Fine, _what did _Regulus_ want?" His tone was still mocking, and only a steady hand belonging to Remus on his shoulder kept Sirius from punching the rat, instead he balled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth.

"Just to talk."

"About?"

"None of your damn business Pettigrew." With that, he grabbed his bag and slammed open the door he had only seconds before closed, and walked out. The thing about an angry Sirius Black, was everyone knew it. And he did too. His face must have been a mask of pure rage, because everyone just stepped out of his way as he came barging through the train corridor, heading onto the platform.

_You didn't say have a good summer, or even goodbye, to your friends._ Said a nagging little voice in the back of his head.

_I don't care. They didn't deserve one_. Sirius said back, before pushing the little voice away and starting to look around for Reg or his mother.

He spotted Reg first, and quickly made his way over to the younger boy. On the way, he saw Lily Evans, a pretty red head who was being crushed on by James, heading towards the barrier with one Severus Snape, Slytherin. He waved at her and she waved back, mouthing, _have a good summer. _He mouthed it back.

"Reg!" Regulus turned around in relief after hearing his brother call his name.

"Thank Merlin, I thought I'd never find you!" He said, "Mum is over there, you ready?"

"Nope."

"That makes two of us." Regulus said, a tight smile stretched across his lips as they made their way over to Walburga Black, a woman who looked like a cross between ghost and evil itself.

"Hello Mother." They chimed in unison, knowing the routine.

"Boys. Regulus how was your first year in Slytherin House?" She completely ignored Sirius all together.

Regulus nodded, "It was good thank you Mother. How is father?"

"He is well. Come alone, I don't have all day." She snapped, quickly barging past the line to the barrier and walking through it.

Regulus and Sirius shared a look, grimacing. They were staying for only hours before they would make their move, but neither was looking forward to those hours, however few.


	2. The Father and the Flight

Orion Black stared intensely at his two sons as they stood, dusty from the fireplace (they had travelled by floo), in the middle of the Black family sitting room. Sirius, the blood traitor, stood with his eyes firmly connected with his fathers, refusing to back down. Regulus' stare was aimed at his shoes.

"How was school?"

"Fine."

"You didn't come home for Christmas."

"I did not."

"Regulus did."

"Yes, he did."

"Why did you spend Christmas at Hogwarts?" Orion sneered at Sirius, "Is this place not good enough for you? Is that it? Are we not good enough to spend your blood traitor company with? Huh? ANSWER ME BOY."

_None of this place or who you are is good enough for me._ Sirius thought, he instead opted to say, "I spent it with friends."

"We are family." He used the term mockingly, as if disgusted by the fact. "Surely, that is MORE IMPORTANT." He backhanded Sirius across the face, making the young man's head spin to an angle, but after a few seconds he rightened its position to stare the older man in the eye again. "ISN'T IT!"

"Perhaps," Sirius chose his words carefully, not wanting to get hit over the bruise that was already forming, "But we were having a party, the last one before OWLS, I couldn't resist breaking a few rules and losing a few points for Gryffindor."

That had worked, a small, cruel smile worked its way onto Orion's face. For all he knew, his son was disgusted by the fact that 5 years ago that 'stupid hat' had placed him in Gryffindor, the house of bravery and loyalty, and not the one of snakes and cunning. But Sirius was cunning too. He easily lied about wanting to lose Gryffindor points, about how his friends were Slytherin's, how he mocked the family he loved. Lies, each and every one of them, but Orion believed them.

"Fine." Orion turned to Regulus, "And you, my boy! How was your first year in Slytherin?" The very same words his mother had spoken not ten minutes before.

"It was good, Dad." Regulus nodded, his eyes finally meeting his father's, "They're very… Nice."

This was, of course, completely untrue. Regulus hated Slytherin with a passion. And the other Slytherin's didn't particularly like him either. He was quiet; they were loud. He was small and not up to fighting, all they wanted to do was fight. He was kind and caring, they were mean and cunning. He had non-pureblood views, and most of the Slytherin's… Well, didn't exactly have those same views. When Regulus had joined Hogwarts at the start of this academic year just gone, he had confided in Sirius that he wanted to be in Ravenclaw, maybe even Gryffindor like his brother. He was devastated to find out he was a Slytherin at heart.

"_You're not a true Slytherin; the hat placed you wrong that's all." _

"_I wanted to be a Ravenclaw, Siri."_

"_I know Reg, but think; maybe it's for the best! What would mum and dad say if that was two children not in Slytherin? Hm? Yes, it's for the best. The hat knew you didn't want to get in trouble with mum and dad and sorted you because of that. That's why you're a Slytherin Reg, that's why."_

"_I could have joined you in Gryffindor."_

"_I know, Reg, I know. But you're a Slytherin now, no matter how much you don't want to be. I'm sorry it's this way, but it just is…"_

"_I'm meant to hate you. You're meant to hate me."_

"_I'll never hate you Reg, I promise. Never."_

"_On your life?"_

"_On my life, my death and my magic." _

"Good!" Orion boomed, and Sirius jumped as he came back to the present day, "Excellent! Atta Boy! We'll celebrate; have a big coming home meal! My boy, a Slytherin! You'll be a prefect in years to come my boy! Mark my words!"

The brothers quickly retreated to their rooms after this, and Regulus then crept up to Sirius' room, knocking thrice on the door. "Come in."

When Regulus entered, Sirius was wincing as he applied muggle creamy stuff to his bruising face. "What's that?"

"Just some first aid stuff. Muggle stuff I keep for times like this."

"Oh… Ok." Regulus shifted on his feet, "So…" He lowered his voice, "When are you going to pack?"

Sirius turned in his chair, and looked around his room. "Now." Regulus watched, startled, as his older brother started racing around the room, throwing clothes, shoes, items onto his bed. He then got a suitcase and started throwing everything in.

"Extension charm?"

"Birthday present from Remus last year. Got two."

"Ah, nice, useful."

Sirius finally stopped running around the confined space, his breaths short and ragged. He looked around one last time, ripped a couple posters of the walls and shook items out of drawers and into the suitcase they went, before tossing it under his bed. "Midnight, right?"

"Midnight." Regulus confirmed, he bit his lip. His emotions about this were everywhere, he was worried, scared and anxious, but at the same time, he was excited, thrilled and had adrenaline pumping through his veins.

"You got your broomstick ready?"

"I haven't packed yet, too busy watching you run around like a mad man."

Sirius grinned, "Come on, let's go now, I'll help you."

Regulus quickly agreed, and Sirius got the spare suitcase down to his room quickly, before their parents could see. They threw everything they could see in, clothes, pictures, ornaments, just like Regulus had watched Sirius do, but it was quicker with two people.

"SIRIUS. REGULUS. DINNER NOW."

The two boys rolled their eyes, in unison, at their mothers screaming. Regulus zipped the suitcase closed and Sirius threw it under the bed, like they had done with Sirius' own, before they walked downstairs to dinner.

Regulus noticed that the bruise on Sirius' cheek had swelled a little, and changed colour so it tinted green and lilac. _At least the colours __complement__ each other, _Sirius said, his grin forced.

Their dinner was extravagant. A big roast beef, carved, sat in the middle of the table, surrounded by other dishes. Drinks glasses stood tall with clear liquid, water, in them.

"Dig in then." Walburga said grumpily, "I worked hard on this."

_The house elves worked hard on this. I will say thank you before we leave._

They ate in silence. Well, not true. Regulus and Sirius were silent. Orion was very loud, talking about his great new promotion at work, his fabulous new raise, and the minister's praise, (hey that rhymes!).

Finally, the two of them were sent for bed.

Sirius crept downstairs at half eleven, when everyone but he and Reg were asleep. He grabbed his father's wand and spelled his face clean of bruises, not gone, just covered up, he slipped the wand that was not his into his pocket. He entered the kitchen, immediately, twenty house elves popped into view, and bowed. "Hello Master Sirius, care for a late night snack?"

"No thank you," Sirius whispered, "I have just came to say thank you for caring for me, the last seventeen years."

"You are most welcome, Master Sirius." The House Elves were practically in tears, "But why are you thanking us? Are you leaving?"

Sirius grimaces, "I will forbid you of telling anyone of this, but yes. You will find out soon enough from my parents, but I…" He cut off, grinning. "I have an idea. Wait here. Summon everyone, all the house elves."

He ran upstairs and went into his sock drawer. He picked up as many as he could, dozens, and stuffed them in a backpack. Then he went back to the kitchen. The house of Black had 32 house elves, by his count. He crouched next to one, and handed them a sock from the bag. Winky, the house elf, gasped and cried, as did those around her. And Sirius gave each and every one of them, a sock.

"We are free! Master Sirius has freed us!" They cried, quietly after Sirius said 'shhhhhhh!' to them. "Master has given us socks! We are free! We are free!"

"That's right, you're all free!" Sirius whispered to them, "You can leave!"

"But… But we have nowhere to go!" Winky said,

Sirius thought for a moment, "Go and see Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, he is just and fair and pays his house elves. You could ask for a home in the kitchens of Hogwarts, that way I can come and visit. He is most kind to all creatures, large and small, that he meets."

Winky nodded enthusiastically, and thanked him once more before disapparated, the rest of the elves did the same. Chuckling to himself, Sirius made his way back to his room, where Regulus sat on his bed.

"You're late." Regulus jutted a thumb at the clock by Sirius' bedside, a muggle present from Peter, it read, **00:07**. "And your face is clean."

Sirius laughed, "Sorry, was… uh… doing business."

"Meaning? I thought you were talking to the… Oh god, tell me you didn't?"

"Didn't what?" Sirius replied innocently,

"SIRIUS!"

"SHHHH!" Sirius waved his hands, the both went quiet… Snoring. The both breathed out in relief, "Yes, I set them free!"

"_All of them!" _

"Every single one."

Regulus gaped at Sirius, who had a small smirk on his face. "You're mad. They'll kill you."

"Ah, but you see, they have to find me first." Sirius dragged out his suitcase and two broomsticks from beneath his bed, he shrank his and Regulus' suitcases with a charm, using his father's wand, before setting it outside his room. He slipped the mini-suitcases into his pocket and zipped it up. He opened the (thankfully) large window, and cold breeze blew in.

"Ready Reg?"

"Ready Siri."

They mounted their brooms, took one more look around Sirius' room, where he had spent his whole life so far, where he had been taunted and teased and hated and belittled so many, many times. And, with careful flying, they flew through the window, and into the cool night.

"You're sure you know the way!" Regulus yelled over the wind,

"Absolutely sure!" Sirius yelled back.

And they flew away, from their childhood home.

_To the halfway house they go,_

_The halfway house they need,_

_But they will have their troubles, _

_And they hunger of hate they will feed…_


	3. The Scared and the Welcome

They flew over trees and houses and streets and flashing lights of the city, until the city disappeared. So they flew over trees and meadows and fields as the countryside went by.

"Are you sure you know where you're going!" Regulus yelled for the umpteenth time. They had been flying for hours; it was nearly 6'o clock in the morning. 6 hours of riding non-stop, it was starting to affect them.

"FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME, YES!"

"Can we stop for a little bit then?" Regulus said softly, moving closer so to say it.

Sirius sighed and smiled at his younger brother, he nodded. "Sure, ok." They landed smoothly in a meadow, it being summer, it was light and they had had to use the extra little gadget they were never allowed in the matches at school, invisibility.

Their dad had fixed it on to Sirius' broomstick the year he went to Hogwarts; he got into Gryffindor and, of course, had never had a new broomstick since. Regulus' was fixed this year, the year he went to Hogwarts. You just pressed this little button on the bottom side of the top of the broom, and boom, the broom and its rider would be completely invisible.

This, of course, was very useful for the bright summer mornings, flying above houses with window views of clear blue skies.

"So…" Regulus said quietly, "What do you think everyone is like then? At this… Halfway house? Nice? Do you think they're all in one house at Hogwarts, the same years? Or spread out across all years and all houses? Anyone we know…"

"I don't know Reg," Sirius said, sitting with his back against a nearby willow, "I mean, Dumbledore said there's at least fifteen at Hogwarts, and more next year, surely they can't be all together. They're different families, different blood, and different personalities. It's not like they have all come from the same place, they're different, bound together by disaster."

Regulus sat up and looked at his brother, smiling, "You know, I could be wrong, but I think you, the ever-forever prankster of Gryffindor House, was just _wise_."

"Oh shut up…" They sat in a comfortable silence for a while,

"I'm scared of this Sirius…" Regulus said after a while, "This change, this… New family we are entering into, not knowing anyone. Just going in with head highs hoping they'll accept us for who we are and not care about what our name is. No one's done that before. We still those looks. Those _you family is full of dark wizards_ looks."

"I know Reg, I'm scared too. We both just want to be accepted, doesn't everyone? It's just harder for us, for people with a family like we have… It's different."

"Different is rubbish, I wish I blended in more."

"Never wish to be like everyone else," Sirius said quietly, "One day, it's what makes you different that will make you stronger, than anybody else."

"There you go again," Regulus teased, "Being wise."

Sirius laughed and stood, brushing the dirt of his clothes and tugging a hand through his wind knotted hair, he held a hand out to Regulus and helped the light, little boy up. "Come on, it's nearly seven now. We have about an hour, maybe two, of riding left, we better get going."

Regulus nodded his agreement, "Let's just hope you don't get lost."

"Oh, be quiet."

They went on for another hour. Then another. Then another. And suddenly it was ten o clock. "ARE YOU SURE –"

"I KNOW WHERE I AM GOING. IT'S JUST TAKING LONGER THAN EXPECTED." Sirius yelled angrily back.

It took another half hour before they landed again. Regulus raised an eyebrow at Sirius and said, "And 3 and half hours later…"

"Shut up Regulus."

"So this is it?"

"This is it."

They were standing in front of a Victorian manor house that towered over them. It had roses twining up around the front door, a big wooden door, and a pebble driveway, which was huge, just for reference. There was music blaring from a few of the old windows, and the brothers could see figures in the windows. There was laughing from what the supposed to be the back garden, because there was a little wooden gate at the side of the house.

"Ready?" Regulus whispered, Sirius gulped and nodded. They walked across the pebbles, the stones crunching beneath their weight, and stopped outside the heavy door. They could hear cheerful yelps and yells from inside, and gave each other a reassuring glance.

Sirius knocked.

The yelling inside stopped. Then restarted but got quieter and quieter and suddenly gone. Someone was undoing locks on the door. The door swung open, and a pale boy with black hair and eyes alight with joy (surprising Sirius and Regulus) looked at them.

"You." Sirius said.

Severus Snape smiled at them. "Welcome to the Halfway House."

_Oh no._


	4. The Double Doored Dorms and the Restart

Snape's smile slid as he realised who he was welcoming. "You!" He exclaimed, "Black!"

"I'm here to!" Regulus muttered, smiling up at Severus, who smiled back.

"Hello Regulus, how are you?" He asked,

Regulus shrugging, taking another look at his surroundings in slight awe, "I'm great thanks, I've just done 9 and a half hours of riding, my back is killing."

"I bet it is."

Sirius looked between the two of them with a confused expression on his face, Regulus saw and told him, "Severus is my house prefect, and he's helped me a lot of times when I got lost around the school."

A woman suddenly appeared at the door next to Severus. She wore a bright smile on her face and had very bright blue eyes. She was dressed in a summer dress that was a light green, and wore flip flops of the same colour on her feet. "Hello, can we help you?"

Sirius and Regulus looked at each other, "Um… You see, Professor Dumbledore –"

"Oh! You must be the Black brothers." The woman interrupted, nodding, "Yes, Professor Dumbledore said you might turn up at our door! Welcome to the Halfway House, I'm Eileen and this is –"

"We already know each other." Severus cut in, "From school, Reg is one of the kids I look out for, he's always getting lost." He grinned cheekily at Reg, who smiled shyly back.

Eileen smile got brighter, "Great! So you know them. It's always nice if you know someone when you go into a new place. Come in, come in."

Severus looked torn between saying something and not, but he kept his mouth closed and his eyes on the floor. He looked devastated; _You'll just have to find out why._

"Sorry, I got your brother's name but not yours." Eileen said,

"Oh, it's Sirius, miss."

"Don't call me miss," Eileen replied immediately, "Call me Eileen. Now, because of the amount of people who live here, we do have a Head Boy and Girl, which is Severus here and someone you will meet later, because they have been here longest. Including you two and me, we now have twenty-four people living here, and I'm sure Severus will explain everything else but right now –"

A little girl came running into the room; she must have been about seven or eight, "Mummy! Mummy!"

"What is it darling?" Eileen said,

"Mummy, Avye fell over and scraped her knee and it's bleeding and she's crying!"

"Ok Ava, I am on my way, sorry boys, I'll speak to you all later, do you have suitcases?"

Sirius unzipped the pocket and brought them out, and with a swish of her wand, Eileen re-sized them. Then she went running off after Ava.

Severus, Sirius and Regulus looked at each other. Severus forced a smile, "So, they are twenty-three kids, now eleven boys and twelve girls. We're split into four bedrooms, upper boys, upper girls, lower boys and lower girls; we're with people our own age. Eighteen of us are at Hogwarts currently, three more are joining next year, the little girl you just saw is the youngest of us and the girl she was talking about is her sister, everyone but them will be at Hogwarts next year. Questions?"

"Who's the Head Girl?"

Severus smiled, "You'll find out. Come on, I'll show you to the bedrooms. The East wing," He pointed to one staircase on the side of the hall, "That's the Girls dorms, and the West is the boys."

They went up many stairs before they reached a set of double doorways, "This is lower boys, Regulus this is we're you'll be sleeping."

He opened the doors. It was huge. Massive. Ginormous. "This is for those who are in Year one, two or three. There are six of you now." Six beds were pushed against the walls, but they were TV's, games, everything strewn around the room. It looked like a bigger version of the dorms at school, but better. "Oh, here's one of them!"

A little boy walked into the room from another room that joined, and startled when he saw the three people. He smiled, "Hey Sev, who are these people?"

"This is Sirius and Regulus, two new residents. Guys this is Jonathon, he's a Ravenclaw going into his second year. Regulus –"

"We've had classes together." Regulus mumbled; Jonathon nodded.

"You're Slytherin, right?" Regulus nodded, "Nice to meet you. I'm Johnny, please don't call me Jonathon. Welcome to Lower Boys dorm."

Regulus almost smiled, and Sirius remembered his little brothers ache to be a Ravenclaw, "Thanks."

"Reg, why don't you stay here and get to know Johnny a bit better, it's nice when you first sit down to dinner with someone your age that you know next to you."

Regulus nodded, and Jonathon smiled, "Johnny, look after him."

"Will do Sev!" Johnny called as the two older boys left.

They went up one more flight of stairs before reaching another pair of double doors. Severus threw them open, "And this is Upper Boys."

It looked like lower boys, massive and with five beds pushed up against the walls. "It's great… So, they are five of you in here?"

"They are now, including you." Severus replied, going to sit on what Sirius presumed to be his bed, "A fourth year who just moved into Upper, us and one more 6th year, and a Seventh year, who can get really pissy he isn't Head Boy."

"Here or at school?"

"Here. Because '_he's the oldest and surely that means!_ And all that rubbish."

Sirius nodded, feeling awkward, this was his worst enemy, "So everyone's spread out, over different years and houses?"

"Yep, we have Gryffindor's, Ravenclaw's, Slytherin's and Hufflepuff's. And different years too."

Sirius nodded again, "Um… Where should I put my stuff?" Severus indicated to the bed to the left of his own.

"Over here. As you can see, we all decorate around our beds with our own stuff. It's sort of a tradition now, it's our thing." Severus shrugged, "Don't really know how it got started, it just sort of did. The girls do it too…"

Sirius smiled, putting down his suitcase and imagining all his posters hung up around this bed, his bed. "So… You have been here the longest?"

Severus shrugged again, "She would have told you if I hadn't cut it, Eileen's my mum."

Sirius blanched, _oh god, if she finds out who I am, what I've done to her son, she'll kick me out, she_ –

"Are you ok?" Severus said, worried, "You've gone really pale. Sit down, you're freaking me out." Sirius just did what he said, putting his head in his hands. "Crap, Black, are you ok?"

"Yer, I'm fine, just… I don't really understand why I'm allowed to live here."

Severus looked confused, "Um… We take anyone in who needs help that's just –"

"No!" Sirius said, his head shot up and he met Severus' look, "Me! I've bullied you for years on end! Curses after taunts after hexes over and over again! Why are you letting me live here! I wouldn't…"

Severus looked at him for a moment and then sat back against his bed, "I'm not going to tell my mum who you are and what you do, if that's what you're asking."

"I'm asking why not."

Severus looked at his lap, "I don't know." He whispered, "I guess… Reg confided in me about some family troubles, bad ones. I sort of have an idea what you're going through; it's not a big picture, but even what I know, however little…" He sighed, "I wouldn't want myself to go through that. I'm not going to turn someone away if they are. Even if it is you."

Sirius smiled widely, he sat on the edge of his bed and stuck a hand out, "Hi, I'm Sirius Black, I'm a Gryffindor going into my sixth year, I can be a complete idiot sometimes and I live at the Halfway house after running away from my family, nice to meet you."

Severus looked at him, confused, "What are you doing?"

Rolling his eyes, Sirius replied, "Restarting."


	5. The Meeting and the Confessions

Severus and Sirius talked all afternoon. No one disturbed them, they could hear laughing and cheering from the gardens but they sat together talking, repairing what was so deeply broken. And when Eileen called up for dinner, Sirius and Severus were happy with themselves, for they had both talked to an enemy like a friend.

"Come on, time to meet the family." Severus said, smiling, getting up and stretching. Sirius followed before they started downstairs. Groups of 3/4/5 were going into what Sirius presumed was the dining room. Severus pulled Sirius to the top of the table, sitting the Black next to him.

"Who sits there?" Sirius pointed to the empty seat across from Severus,

"Head Girl." Severus replied, smiling, "You'll meet her soon enough."

Regulus and Jonathon and one other boy entered. Regulus sat across from Sirius, diagonal to Severus, next to the Head Girl seat, and also next to Jonathon.

Severus leaned over to whisper to Sirius, "They seem to be getting along."

Nodding his agreement, Sirius went silent like everyone else when Eileen walked in and sat at the head of table, the table was completely full bar one seat, Head Girl's. Eileen pointed to the empty space, "Where is –"

"Sorry!" Lily Evans came running into the room, and Severus refrained from laughing when Sirius' eyes popped out, "Sorry I'm late but… Sirius?"

"Lily!"

Lily all but screamed and ran over to him, throwing her arms around him. "What the hell are you doing here!" She laughed, kissing his cheek, "Wait… Do you_ live here now_!" She looked between his and Severus, noticing they were sitting by each other.

"Sirius moved in this morning Lils."

"Did you just call him by his first name!"

Everyone around the table looked stunned, and Sirius leaned down to ask why in Lily's ear, she laughed. "Nearly everyone here goes to Hogwarts Sirius, we all know of yours and Severus' feuds."

"Feuds?" Eileen cut in, "What feuds?"

Sirius and Severus looked at each other. Then the rest of the table. Then back to Eileen.

"Um…"

"Well, you see…"

"The thing is…"

"Oh for Merlin's sake, they hate each other!" A blond haired girl from down the table shouted, throwing up her arms, everyone looked at her, "Well _someone _had to say it!"

Lily chuckled, "Thank you Sophia." She took her place as Head Girl, "Moving on?"

"No, no." Eileen said, shaking her head, "Not moving on. Severus, why didn't you tell me that you and Sirius didn't get along when he turned up this morning?"

Severus hesitated, looking at Sirius through the corner of his eye, he whispered something into his mother's ear, and Eileen slowly smiled. "Ok, I'll take it. But I don't expect _an_yfighting, ok? We're a family here."

Sirius smiled and nodded, Severus agreed.

"Now that that is sorted!" Sophia, from down the table, said, "It's nice to meet you, I'm Sophia and I'm a 4th year Ravenclaw."

Everyone around the table followed suit, telling the pair they're name and year and house. "And I'm Ava!"

"And I'm Avye!" The two little girls finished, grinning. "We're eight!"

"Welcome to Halfway." Severus added, grinning.

Eileen sat down and everyone did the same. The table seemed to be enchanted just like the ones at Hogwarts, because suddenly the table became covered in delicious looking meals. "So, Sirius, Regulus, it is also tradition that you tell us why you came to Halfway."

Sirius and Regulus nearly choked, sharing a wide-eyed look. Lily and Severus patted them on the backs, "No, Aaron, it isn't." Severus shot a look down the table, "Ignore him, he does this a lot to the new guys."

"It's a gift." Aaron grinned,

"Or a disability."

Everyone laughed and Aaron and Severus glared at each other, but the frowns dissolve into smiles. Aaron winked at Severus, "Aw, Sev, you stop all my fun."

"That's my job Aaron. Eat your dinner."

"And bossy too…"

"Aaron!" Lily and Severus shouted at the same time, but the rest of the table started laughing loudly, and they eventually joined in. "God, you people will be the death of me…"

"Gee thanks." Someone else said sarcastically, "Love you too Lils."

"Are you always like this?" Sirius whispered, "Everyone the… teasing and stuff?"

Severus laughed and nodded, "Always."

Lily looked between them with a knowing smile, then grinned down at her food, containing her excitement. "So," She said, "Sirius, do Potter, Lupin and Pettigrew know you're here?"

Sirius nearly choked again, "Uh, no, they don't. They don't even know that Reg and me ran away."

Lily nodded, "Are you gonna tell them?"

"I… I don't know. It's just…" He looked at Severus through the corner of his eye,

"They wouldn't exactly want you living with Sev, would they?" Lily asked softly, and Sirius looked apologetically at Severus, before shaking his head.

Eileen frowned, "Should I know who these people are?"

There was silence at the table before the uproar. Anyone outside the house might think there had been an explosion.

"You never –"

"SEV!"

"Didn't tell your mum –"

"TELL. ME. WHAT." Eileen shouted above the uproar, staring down at Severus, who groaned and slid down in his chair. "Severus!"

"Um, Eileen?" Lily squeaked, "Sev… He's really badly bullied by these four guys at school. Sirius…. Well he's sort of one of them."

"Thanks for that Lily."

"Someone had to tell her!" Lily defended herself, "Sorry Sev, but I thought Eileen knew, the amount of times you've been in that damn hospital wing."

"YOU'VE BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL WING AND I DIDN'T KNOW!"

Severus groaned again, "Mum, it's fine, seriously. It was only a few times."

A few people let out barks of laughter. Sirius, following Severus' suit, blanched and slid down in his chair. _I'm a goner. I'm dead. _

"A FEW TIMES! What was it that Potter did to you last week?"

"Lily,"

"Threw you into the god damned –"

"LILY!"

"LAKE!"

"I'm leaving!"

"No. You. Are. Not." Eileen ground out, "Everyone. Shut. up. Now."

Everyone gulped. They hadn't wanted to get Sirius or Severus in trouble, Severus was like their brother and Sirius was one the coolest guys at school.

"Severus, Sirius. Care to tell me what's going on?"

"Not really." Severus murmured.

Sirius went further white, and then he sat up, "Me and my friends and Severus… We've had this on-going feud since the first day of Hogwarts. We got into a fight on the first ever train ride. I'm ashamed to say it has snowballed into much, much worse. On my part and of my friends, not Severus'. We took it too far."

"You think." A couple of people say sarcastically, Lily being one of them.

"I… Me and James, we're the worst. I know we are." He looked at his lap, "I'm sorry."

Eileen sat back down into her chair, "Severus? Anything to add?"

"Uh… I don't want you to kick Sirius out of Halfway?" He said sheepishly, "Oh, about school… Uh, no. Everyone else pretty much summed it up."

Eileen massaged her temples, "Well, I have to say. We've had screaming mothers, furious dads, threatens of suing, everything. But you two have definitely brought the most entertainment."

"That's Black's speciality."

"Oi!" Sirius said, but he grinned and nudged Severus' on the shoulder.

Eileen looked between them, "Ok, just let me… Sirius, if I hear of _anything _you will be leaving Halfway, ok? And Severus," She smacked him across the head, ignored his protest, "In the future, if you are being beaten bloody by some damn kids at school, try telling me, idiot!"

Severus rolled his eyes, "Sorry mum."

"That's ok." Eileen dropped her head back into her hands, "Now, everyone, eat. I'm too stressed out to say anything else to anyone."

Severus and Sirius sat back up in their chairs, sharing a look. Sirius turned to Severus and looked at him apologetically, "I'm sorry for the past… Five years." Everyone smiled.

Severus shrugged, "It's ok."

"It's not but I'll take it."

Lily groaned, frustrated, "This is so annoying! You two could have got on _so _well for the past five year, you could have been really close friends, but you've been too bloody busy screaming curses at each other! Merlin help me!"

Everyone laughed, carrying on eating. Everyone started talking again. Severus to Lily, Regulus to Jonathon, Sirius… he looked at his plate and was confused.

"Jonathon did you show Reg around already?"

"Yep, and introduced him to Mike." The other boy who Regulus had entered with waved, Severus looked at Sirius.

"I'll show you around tomorrow, is that ok?"

Sirius nodded, smiling up shyly at Severus, "Sure."

Severus shook his head and nudged the younger boy's shoulder with his hand, "Stop looking shy, it's starting to scare me."

Sirius shrugged and went back to his food, grinning. Severus was too, but it was a slightly smaller grin than Sirius'.

_I think, maybe, I finally fit in somewhere. I mean, I do with my friends, but this feels more like… home._

Later, the upper boys went back to their dorm and everyone was introduced less formally.

"I'm Aaron, the joker."

"I'm Daniel, rightful head boy."

"I'm Sammy, just Sammy."

"I'm Sirius." He replied, smiling, everyone went and sat on their beds.

"So," Severus started, sitting cross legged to Sirius' right, "There is actually _one_ tradition at the Halfway house, besides the decoration around the bed, Regulus is probably going through it now as well."

"What is it?"

"Every person has to tell one secret, including you. It's tradition you go first, it's a thing we do on everyone's first night at Halfway."

Sirius gulped, "Um, ok…" He paused, "I came to Halfway because my family is abusive. I am currently sporting a bruise on my cheek, but I covered it up using my dad's wand before we left."

Everyone went silent, and then Aaron spoke. "I have a crush on Janine."

Everyone gasped, "NO WAY." Severus and Daniel and Sammy yelled, laughing. Sirius remembered Janine from the introductions.

"I don't like my house at Hogwarts." Daniel added,

"I really hope these don't leave this room," Sammy groaned, "I have a crush on Lily."

Silence.

"You better not hurt her Sammy, I will murder you."

"Got it Sev."

"Seriously, I will kill you."

"I know you're being serious."

"Severus, you're last."

Severus looked at his lap, "No one tells anyone this, not even anyone in the rest of the house… Black, I swear to Merlin, you tell the Marauders and I will tear you apart." He threatened, Sirius help his hands up in surrender. "Um… I'm sort of… kind of… Gay."


	6. The Brothers and the Acquaintance

_Sorry about the short chapter! _

Sirius, Aaron, Danny and Sammy gaped at Severus. Complete silence.

"Does Eileen know?" Sammy squeaked eventually, Severus shook his head, falling back against his pillows.

"Not yet, you guys are the first to know. Don't hate me?"

The Aaron, Danny and Sammy immediately got up off their beds and threw themselves at Severus, "Sev! We're like brothers! Of course we don't hate you, we could never. But you have to tell Eileen."

Severus nodded, "I know. I will… But I just wanted you guys to know." He was still being hugged, he mouthed at Sirius, _3, 2, 1._

Sirius was dragged into the hug. "Arrgh!"

They all laughed.

Severus went to sleep happily, with his new 'acquaintance' on his left, three brothers on the other side of the room, a large extended family throughout the house, the truth partially out in the open, and with the dread of telling his mother of his sexuality settling on his shoulders, he sighed and went to sleep.

_Maybe, if me and Sirius are friends, I won't get bullied. I really thought this meant I was going to be as depressed at home as I am at school, but maybe, just maybe, having Sirius Black living in my house, well… It may just be a good thing. We'll just have to see…_


	7. The Holiday Feeling and the Tree House

When Sirius' eyes first opened in the morning, he had a mental panic attack, sitting up straight and looking around wildly. _Where the hell am I?_ Then he remembered the day before, and the day before that. Calm thoughts flooded his mind, and he sighed in relief.

"You ok?"

He looked over to his right, and smiled, Severus was looking at him, concerned. "Yer, just… you know, forgot where I was for a minute. Mental panic."

Severus nodded, "I get that when I've gone on holiday, the first morning you just don't know where you are. It gets better, promise."

"Wha's goin' on?" A sleepy voice said from across the room, Aaron was slowly sitting up, smacking his lips together, and rubbing his eyes.

Severus rolled his eyes before answering the boy, "Nothing Aaron, just Sirius' holiday feeling, go back to dreaming of Janine."

"Kay…" Snoring echoed around the room only seconds after and Severus and Sirius struggled to contain their laughter as the boy suddenly sat up straight, threw a pillow at Severus and shouted, "Hey!"

"Alright! Alright!" Severus shouted, his voice filled with laughter as he tried to defend himself, "OI! You two, stop it! DANIEL! AARON! SAMMY STOP IT!" The other boys had awoken from the noise and starting to pelt pillows at their brother.

It stopped as the boys ran out of pillows. Severus lounged back on all of them, half covered by them. "Well, that was… fun." They burst out laughing, but were stopped by a knock on the door.

"Are you all decent?" Lily's voice called from the other side of the door,

"Yes Lils!" Sirius rolled his eyes as Sammy sat up straighter, ran his fingers through his hair, his blue eyes flittered nervously around the room. Merlin, he was obvious.

Lily opened the door, and two little girls ran in. "Ava and Avye wanted to know what all the noise was, we can hear you in the other wing, they came up to my room and asked me to bring them to you."

"We thought you were being attacked!" Ava and Avye said in unison, running and jumping onto Severus' bed, climbing into his lap. They were eight, but acted younger.

Severus laughed, "No. These guys just thought it fun to throw some pillows my way."

Sam visibly gulped as Lily sat down on the edge of his bed, "Morning." She smiled,

"Morning." He said back, smiling, trying to contain his nervousness.

"So… What are we going to do today?" Lily asked, smiling widely.

Severus nodded at Sirius, "I'm showing Sirius around first. Then… I don't know, that might take a while, but swimming? I'll challenge you to tennis Lils."

"Ooooh!" Lily said, clapping her hands, "Finally, some good competition, I thrashed everyone yesterday!"

"I let you win…" Sammy grumbled, and everyone knew he really, really had.

Before Lily could reply, Severus cut in, "Come on, Lils, girls, we guys need to get changed. We'll meet you downstairs for breakfast. Ok? Ten minutes, Lily –"

"Won't be ready in ten minutes, need twenty minutes to half an hour, at least." She blew a kiss at Sammy, who went tomato red, waved cheerily at Sev and took the girls hands before leaving.

Sirius turned to Sammy with raised eyebrows, "Dude, obvious much?"

Sammy groaned and fell back against the bed, hands over his face.

It took them, the boys, precisely thirteen minutes and twenty-nine seconds to get ready, and they were downstairs for breakfast. The girls were down eight minutes and thirty-eight seconds later. Aaron and Sammy both blushed at seeing Janine and Lily in only shorts and tank tops; their brunette and red long hair tied up in ponytails that swung as they walked.

"Do you girls always look the same?" Severus shook his head as he sat down.

"Oi, we take a long time to make sure we look like a group." Someone called from down the table, all the girls nodded in agreement, the boys all rolled their eyes and shook their heads.

"What's wrong with being different?" Sammy muttered. He was ignored.

Breakfast was a short affair. They talked and ate toast and flicked (in Aaron's case) bits of cereal. Afterwards, Severus started to show Sirius around.

They passed huge bedrooms, beautiful marble bathrooms, three cosy living rooms, an exquisite dance hall where they held events, Severus told him they had a Christmas party in there every year, the games room filled with all things muggle, something called Pacman lay in the corner, and Severus tried his best to explain what it did and how it worked, and the kitchen (Sirius got to meet the house-elves) with dishes washing themselves. Finally, they put their shoes on and went into the garden.

The first thought that went through Sirius' head was, _Oh my Merlin…_

Pebbles and slabs filled the first part of the garden, in an intricate pattern that probably meant something Sirius had no clue about. Then it was lush green grass, with flowers everywhere and an expensive looking rockery with a little water feature. They went up some steps and Sirius nearly forgot how to breathe. A stream, an actual stream, flowed through the garden, twining in between trees, they could see two of the smaller children playing stepping stones, one fell into the water and they both laughed loudly.

"That's Harry and Mia Spiral, brother and sister, over there playing, Mia's 3rd year Hufflepuff and Harry is starting this year." Severus spoke for the first time, "Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful." Sirius breathed.

There was an orchard at the back, pear trees and apple trees and blackberry bushes grew in abundance. There was a shed at the back too, and Sirius made a point of asking, not daring to hope –

"It's a broom shed. Everyone keeps their brooms and kits for them in there." Severus replied, pushing a branch out of his way and holding it so Sirius could pass. "Come on, I want to show you something."

They went right to the back of the orchard, there, one tree stood above all the others, and a large wooden structure was sitting within its branches. "A tree house."

"Congratulations Black." Severus drawled, but he smiled. "Come on, ladder's here."

"Wait… We're going _up_ there?"

Severus looked down at him, for he was already halfway up the ladder, "Course. You don't want to?"

Sirius quickly backtracked, "No, no I do it's just… I'm sort of… Well," He sighed, "If this gets out, I swear to Merlin, I will kill you."

Severus nodded.

"I'm scared of heights." Severus' eyebrows shot up a little, "Don't you dare laugh Snape." Sirius mumbled, his feet shifting.

Severus dropped back to the ground, smiling, "I'm not laughing Sirius." He looked up at the use of his first name, "To be honest, I think I'm seeing a much more human side of you."

"Gee, thanks. And to think I've been robot all these years."

Severus rolled his eyes, "Ok, how about you go up first, that way I can catch you if you fall."

Now it was Sirius' eyes that shot upwards, "Really? I mean… Um, are you sure that the ladder is safe? And you're sure about the… you know… Catching me?"

"It's fine Sirius; we're sort of… friends, now. Aren't we?"

Sirius smiled, nodding, "Yer, I guess so." He took a deep breath, and started to climb up the ladder. He got about four steps before it gave a violet turn and he nearly fell, but there was a hand on the small of his back and after a few seconds he was balanced again. After a few more minutes of very slow climbing, he pulled himself up into the tree house.

He looked around. There were paintings stuck to the walls, a couple of beanbags throw around and a sofa in the corner, a rug strew across the floor. He turned around when he heard Severus reach the end of the ladder and pull himself in.

"You like?" He asked, as he had earlier with the garden. Sirius smiled and nodded,

"It's like… a mini home."

"It sort of is. My mum made it, with magic, when loads of people starting coming to Halfway. For a while, I thought I was getting kicked out of my home, I thought new people were coming in and taking my place as Mum's kid, it upset me. So she made me this for if I ever needed to get away and be by myself. It didn't work at the time, I needed my home and her, but it's become a nice place to get away to now that I'm older."

Sirius walked over to the wall of the tree house, looking at the paintings, he saw one of a sunset, all the different colours making it look so real, "Did you paint these?"

"Don't tell anyone, but yes, I paint in my spare time."

Sirius went to turn around but bumped straight into Severus' chest, "S… Sorry!"

They're faces were mere inches apart. They locked eyes. They leaned in.

And Severus turned his head away, "We should go, Lily will be waiting for us. Tennis matches and whatever." He stepped away, head bowed, and Sirius cleared his throat, thoroughly confused and blushing.

"Right… Of course."

Severus climbed down the ladder first, and Sirius took one more look at the painting of the beautiful sunset before following him. They went back along the path they came, but then went a different route that they had passed earlier.

"Severus?" Sirius said quietly,

"Hm?"

"How many people have you shown that tree house?"

Severus opened a gate; in front of them were tennis courts and a swimming pool with a high diving tower.

"Just the one."

Before Sirius could question further, Lily came running by and pulled Severus to the tennis courts, starting a game with him.

_He showed me. He only showed me. Just one. Just me… _


	8. The Musings and the Connection

"YOU NEARLY KISSED?"

Lily and Severus where sitting in one of their living rooms. Severus on the right side of the sofa and Lily on the left, they sat inwards so their feet crossed, Lily's on top of Severus, and they leaned back on the armrests.

"But… You and him… Enemies for years!"

Severus groaned; he almost, _almost_, regretted telling his best friend about what had happened earlier in the tree house with one Sirius Black. After thrashing her at tennis and after eating dinner, he had spilt everything. But he couldn't keep it from her, not for anything. She knew somehow. Probably from how awkward an affair dinner was, he was sure that his mum noticed too…

"I know Lils, I know… I don't know what happened. One moment I was standing behind him and the next he turned and we were leaning in."

"And you were the one to pull back?"

Severus nodded.

"So he wanted to kiss you." Lily mused, smiling and crossing her arms, Severus was about to protest when she added, "And you wanted to kiss him?"

"He's not gay."

"You're avoiding the question."

"I…" Severus groaned again, "I don't know Lils."

She put a hand on his knee, "Don't worry Sev, we'll figure it out. I promise I'll help you. You haven't told Eileen yet, have you?"

Apart from the boys in his dorm at Halfway, Lily was the only one to know that he was gay. Another thing he just couldn't keep from her. She seemed to guess his whole life, pretty much, and she got everything right. Him being gay, him not telling Eileen, his near kiss with a past enemy, everything she just got.

"No… You don't think I should?"

Lily pushed a stray hair out of her face, "I think you should tell her as soon as possible. I mean, she may have already guessed, but I still think you should be the one to tell her. What if you and Sirius started dating?"

"Not going to happen Lils."

"Could!"

"Couldn't! We _nearly _kissed, nearly! But we didn't, that's it."

"Fine, fine." Lily put her hands up in defeat, "Merlin, so much drama and it's only the second day of the holiday!"

Severus laughed with her, "I know… So… You have your eye on anyone?"

Lily blushed a little, "Nope."

Severus grinned in response, _Sammy will be crushed_, "Go on, who is it? As long as it's not a Marauder, I'll be fine with it, unless he hurts you. Then I'll kill him."

"SEV!"

"What?" The boy asked innocently, batting his eyelashes. Lily giggled.

"I'll tell you. Soon. I'm just… Trying out a theory first." Severus frowned at her, "I'm not using him or anything, I promise. I just want to try something, see if they notice."

"Is it Sammy?"

Lily spluttered, going even more red. Severus' grin widened considerably, _Never mind, Sammy will be thrilled beyond imaginable belief. I can't wait to tell him_.

"You won't tell him anything!" Lily shouted, as if reading Severus' mind, watching the clockwork go round in his brain, "How on earth did you know? I've kept that secret well!"

Severus laughed, "You said you had to try something to make them notice. Well, to notice, they would have to be here with us. Living here. Here for the summer. So then you look at Upper Boys. Not me, I'm gay. It wouldn't be Sirius considering the excitement you had after our just gone conversation. Daniel is too old and Aaron too young therefore it has to be Sammy. Our year and the only boy left. Process of elimination." He grinned.

"You're good."

"I learned from the best."

Lily sighed, "But back to you and Sirius," He groaned, "I think you should go for it. You obviously have a really strong connection."

"What do you mean?" Severus asked her.

Lily shrugged, "You've been fighting from a distance, not really knowing each other, for the past five years. But after two _days_ of being friends, you nearly kiss. Doesn't that tell you something? When you're apart, like the past five years, you break, you fight. But put the pair of your together, and you just… Instantly and automatically connect. As soon as you're together, you work."

Severus startled, coming to terms with what Lily was saying. Was it true? Did he and Sirius work? _Could_ they work?

Lily smiled and patted his knee, "It'll be ok Sev, you'll see."

_Could it be possible? Someone I have hated, been tortured and cursed by for so many years? I mean… We did make friends really easily, that's true enough. But a connection? Between me and Sirius? Maybe… _

And just like that, Severus started to regret pulling away from that kiss. For deep in his subconscious, he did know, that he and Sirius Black shared a connection.

And a strong one at that.


	9. The Telling and the Matchmakers

Severus carefully avoided Sirius for a whole week. _One week down, only five to go._ He thought, counting the seemingly endless summer weeks on his hands. He got up early in the mornings, had breakfast separate from everyone else, ate lunch in the kitchens and avoided the boy during the day too. The only time he had to be near him, dinner.

He was now positive his mother had noticed.

So he decided. He had to tell her. Today. Tomorrow. Hopefully. Probably…

Of course, this is how he came to be standing outside his mother's room at 8'o clock at night on a Monday. Lily stood by him, she wasn't coming in, she was just there for moral support. She smiled at him and took his hand, "It'll all be ok." She told him, again.

"You don't know that."

"I do. Because I know you. And I know Eileen." She gave his hand a firm squeeze, before going up to her dorm. "Come see me when you're done!" She called, "Knock before, or the girls might get annoyed!"

And she was gone as quickly as she came. And Severus was left alone with a dark bedroom door and a very scary task ahead of him. He took a deep breath and knocked. His heart leapt into his throat as he heard his mother call, "Come in!"

He pushed the doors opened. Eileen was lying in bed with her reading glasses on, a book named 'Two Tails Up' in her hands. "Hey Sev, you ok?"

Severus smiled and nodded; he walked forwards and sat on the end of her bed. "Yer, I'm good. I think."

Eileen put her book on the bedside table, crossed her arms, "You think?" She looked at him sceptically. He was a thin boy, but had gained muscle this past year. His hair was newly washed and hung shiny around his face, his eyes were obsidian pools, but they were always alight with happiness. At least, when home. "What's up, come on, tell me."

Severus bit his lip, "I… I think I like someone. _Like like_ them I mean."

Eileen nodding, smiling to herself, "Uh huh. Go on."

"And… Well, I… I don't think you would approve."

Eileen's eyebrows shot into her hairline. "Severus, whoever you want to be with… That's fine with me." She patted his hand and then drew back, smirking, "Unless, of course, they support the dark lord or hate anyone else at this house…. Or treat you like rubbish. Then I have a right as a mother to kick their ass."

"Mum!" Severus laughed, "Don't worry, they don't support the Dark Lord. And they don't hate anyone here!"

"Then why wouldn't I approve?"

"CAUSE IT'S A BOY."

He didn't mean to blurt it out. Really he didn't… Or shout it. Did he shout it? It was sort of like a scream actually… Oh Merlin, yes he did. He scream blurted out that he fancied a boy to his mother. Great, just damn perfect.

Eileen looked at him with a mixture of pride, amazement and shock written all over her face. "Well… After all the years of you and Lily being friends, I defiantly didn't expect this."

Severus looked at his hands, wringing them together. "Sorry."

"Gay or bi?" She asked eventually,

"Gay. Defiantly gay."

"So I can't expect any grandkids then?"

Severus' head shot up. His mother was looking at him, smirk-smiling. He felt a great lift on his heart. "Um, no. No I don't think so. Sorry." He told her.

And suddenly, just like that, Eileen Maria Prince Snape started to laugh. Not a little chuckle, a full laugh that Severus hadn't heard in years. It overcame her, her petite shoulders shaking with mirth. Severus felt slightly awkward as he sat there. "My son!" Eileen smiled, wiping a tear from her eye, "I don't care if your gay or straight Sev, I care that you're proud of being yourself. That's all I care about. What were you here for, hm? Permission? Acceptance? You don't need either, though you have both, from me. You just need them from yourself, for yourself."

A tear glazed over Severus' eye, "Thank you mum." He managed to choke.

The woman smiled back at her son, and leant back against her pillows, "So," She said happily, clapping her hands together, "Who's this guy? Do I know him? Does he live here? Come on, I want all the gossip!"

Severus smiled, leaning back against the headboard of the bed, if he thought telling her about being gay was the hard bit, he had no idea. "Yes, you do know him."

"And does he live here?"

"Yes."

"So, it's Sammy, Daniel, Aaron or Sirius. Those are all the boys in upper, right?" Severus nodded, you couldn't expect her to keep track of twenty odd people, "Not Daniel, he's not your type, am I right?" Severus nodded in definite agreement, Daniel could be arrogant and cocky, which Severus hated. But also his looks just weren't right for this Snape, "Aaron… Too young for you I think. Two years? I think not." Severus smiled, his mother knew him well.

"So?" He prompted,

"So Sammy or Sirius." Eileen put a hand on her chin, tapping her cheek with one finger, as all good English thinkers do, "Sammy you have known for years and have always got on with, and you laugh a lot around him. Sirius, well, you've hated each other for years and have only got on for what, a week? I'm going for Sammy."

Severus had to smile as his mother made the wrong choice.

"Am I right?" She nudged him with her foot, hidden somewhere under the covers.

Well, this was the moment of truth.

"No."

Deadly pause. Silence filled every part of the room. It was if time itself had stopped to listen to Eileen's verdict on the boy her son liked. The one that had bullied him. Taunted him. Hated him. Nearly kissed him.

"Sirius?"

"Yer…"

"Really?"

Severus groaned and hid his face in his hands, "I know, I know. It's a disaster, isn't it? A war zone." He stayed hidden within his hands.

Eileen smiled down at her bashful son, "Actually, now I think about it. I can totally see it."

Severus' head shot up out of his hands, grinning ear to ear he asked, "Can you? Really?"'

"Yes!" Eileen said, "It's like Romeo and Juliet! A Slytherin and a Gryffindor, at war for years before they finally realise their eternal love for each oth- OOHMP!" She cut off as she was hit in the face with a pillow. A perfectly aimed pillow, thrown by her smirking son.

"Stop with the bloody Shakespeare."

"All right, all right." Eileen held her hands up in defeat, "But really, I'm not surprised. The connection that you two had…"

Severus grumbled, "That's what Lils said."

"It's true." Eileen confirmed, nodding, "You and him. You just seem right. Severus Snape and Sirius Black. Sirius Black and Severus Snape. Sev, you fit together. Two days, that's it. And you were like best friends. I think the whole house went into shock!"

Severus shrugged, "What?" He asked, at his mother's questioning glance.

"Have you been avoiding him? The past week?"

"Um… Maybe?"

"Why?"

"Um.. We sort of… Nearly… Kind of…"

"Spit it out!"

"We nearly kissed!"

Eileen gaped at him, "Oh for Merlin's sake boy! In the morning, you are going to talk to him, ok! Right now, you are going to leave before you give me any more… News."

Severus laughed and got up, walked to the door and twisted the handle so it swung open, he turned back to his mum, "You really don't mind?"

"Not one little bit Sev."

"Thank you mum."

He closed the door, not before he heard a whispered 'Your welcome Sev' and smiled. He crossed the hall and went up the stairs, knocking on a large pair of dark wooden doors.

"Come in!"

He opened the doors, and found all the girls in Upper tucked up in bed. "Hey Sev!" They all called, Lily waved at him and he sat next to her.

"How'd it go?" She asked him,

"Good. She didn't mind one little bit."

"TOLD YOU SO!" Lily screeched, hugging him.

"How did what go?" One girl asked, "Who didn't mind what?"

Severus sighed, tugged a hand through his hair, "I just told Mum I'm gay."

More silence. Then all the girls screamed, jumped out of bed (most were in nighties or short shorts and tank tops) and threw themselves at him. "We knew it!"

Severus laughed and he was squeezed to death, "Alright, alright!"

"And is it true you have a crush on Sirius Black?"

Severus gaped at them, and the girls smirked, crossing their arms. "We've known you too long Sev. You're our brother. Does Eileen know you like him?"

"Um, yes, she does. She compared me and him to Romeo and Juliet. Gryffindor and Slytherin, at war, you know…" All the girls put their hands to their hearts and sighed adoringly, looking at him with big eyes.

"That's so cute!"

"So sweet…"

"Romantic or what!"

"And true." Everyone looked to Lily, "It's just so true. You and him. Romeo and Juliet."

"And we," The girls all looked at each other, smiling and grinning and smirking, "Are your very own matching making team. We'll get you two together if it's the last match make we ever make. But it will happen."

_Oh god here we go…_


	10. The Conversation and the Kiss

At breakfast the next morning, Severus immersed himself in talking to Reg. He had finally decided to eat with everyone else, and since Eileen, Lily and all the Upper girls were finding it very amusing to stare between him and Sirius, he decided to talk to someone else, to use up the very humiliating time.

"Stop it." He hissed at his mum and Lily at a break in his and Regulus conversation. The pair of girls just giggled.

"So, Sirius, how are you finding living at the Halfway House?" Lily said loudly, capturing the attention of everyone down the table. Upper girls grinned into their bowls of cereal and fruit.

Sirius fidgeted uncomfortably, "It's great thanks Lils." He put on a fake smile. Lily knew it was fake; it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Severus and I are going to go swimming after breakfast; I'm sure most of you will join us," She looked sternly at the rest of the table, and while they were confused they followed her lead, nodding, "Great! So will you come?"

Severus mentally face palmed as Sirius nodded, smiling for real. "Course Lils, I would love to."

"Awesome!" Lily grinned, "Do you dive? No one has beat Severus yet, and we all want to push him off of that podium." She winked at Severus. Eileen was going slightly red in the face from suppressing laughter.

Severus nudged Lily's leg with his foot, "No one is going to."

"I'll give it a shot." Sirius muttered, looking up at Severus with a small smile.

_Oh he so likes Sev._ Lily grinned, thinking to herself, _it's bloody obvious._ She winked at her fellow Upper girls. Her fellow matchmakers. She nodded to the pair, who were still looking at each other. Janine down the table burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Regulus asked, which just made Janine howl louder and all the girls join in. Lily was practically in tears. Eileen had her hands over her mouth. Severus groaned and slid down in his chair. "Seriously! What's so funny!"

Severus stood up, his chair pushing back, "OK!" He shouted, "I am leaving!" Lily cried harder, "And you missy! You, and you and all of you girls are just horrible mean people!"

"Aw, don't be like that Sev; we're just trying to help." Lily winked at him, "Aren't we girls?"

All the girls nodded, finally stopping laughing. "Course you are, monsters." He shook his head, "I'm going to get changed. Meet you by the pool."

His hand brushed Sirius' shoulder as he left and he felt the boy freeze up. He didn't know if this was a good thing, or a bad one. He bound up the stairs to his room two at a time, going over to his wardrobe and taking a pair of swimming trunks out of the drawers.

He changed in the bathroom, just in case someone came in, and grabbed a towel. He had just left the bathroom when the door to Upper boys opened and Sirius walked in.

They both froze. Severus stood there in only his swimming trunks, and Sirius suddenly became very interested in the floor and his feet. "Hey."

"Hey." Severus said, "You ok?"

"Yep, fine." Sirius nodded, smiling slightly. "Just, uh, getting my trunks…"

"Right, course." Severus nodded; he went over to the trunk at the end of his bed and starting "searching" for something. He heard Sirius move across the room. There was a muttering and he looked back up.

"Sorry?"

"I said," Sirius said loudly, "Why have you been avoiding me?"

Severus froze. _Crap, he knows I've been avoiding him. Well, don't be an idiot Severus, of course he knows. What do I say? _"I haven't been avoiding you." He replied dumbly, _great answer, idiot._

"Yes you have." Sirius said, his voice firm and matter-of-factly. "Ever since we nearly kissed."

Severus laughed, tugging a hand through his hair, "Straight to the point, aren't you Black?" Sirius shrugged and then frowned, looking at Severus with questioning eyes.

He asked, "Since when are we back on a last name basis? Wait, let me guess, ever since we nearly kissed." He sighed.

"Look Sirius about that near kiss in the tree house –"

He cut off as the other boys burst into the dorm. "What's up guys?" Sammy asked, grinning as he went and got his trunks, the other boys following his example.

"Nothing Sammy, Sirius and me were just talking." Severus told him. Before he left, he looked Sirius in the eye, but quickly looked away once seeing all the sadness and disappointment that lay there.

He walked down the stairs with a million thoughts rushing through his head. He grabbed Lily's hand and dragged her away from everyone as soon as he got to the pool. "He asked me why I've been avoiding him."

Lily's eyes grew to the size of the moon. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY!" She screamed, and Severus shushed her, telling her his idiotic response. Lily rolled her eyes. "And then?"

"He mentioned the kiss," Insert sequel that nearly made Severus deaf, "And then I called him Black so he questioned that and I was about to talk to him before your damn crush and everyone else walked in!"

"I'll kill Sammy," Lily pouted, "He's destroying my plans."

"I know ri- Wait, what plans?" Lily winked and walked away, her hair swinging and her green bikini making the boy's, who had just got to the pool, eyes go wide. Sammy blushed red. Severus rolled his eyes, trying not to stare at Sirius' six-pack.

"Sammy!" Lily called, "Come in the water! I wanna race against you!" There was another visible gulp before Sammy nodded, jumping cannonball style into the pool, making the girls scream and squeal. Severus laughed, lying down a beach chair, determined to get a tan. He heard someone sit on the chair next to him, and he knew who it was before he had even opened his eyes.

"So… The conversation we were having earlier? We going to finish it or just leave it, with you still avoiding me like I'm some damn disease?"

Severus opened his eyes and looked up at Sirius, sighing. "You want to finish it, don't you?"

"Yes." Sirius said, quietly but firmly.

"Why?"

In response, Sirius shot forwards and grabbed his wrist, dragged him up and towards the gate of the pool. Severus looked back as he walked away and saw Lily watching them, grinning widely.

Severus realised where they were going before they got there. Where else would they go to have this talk? The talk about the near kiss. Where else but the place _where_ the near kiss happened? The Tree House loomed above them. Sirius rubbed his arm, took a nervous breath and grabbed onto the ladder.

It was as if time insisted on repeated itself. Sirius slipped on one of the first steps and Severus' hand was immediately on his back, holding him up in place. They both blushed; Sirius muttered thanks before climbing the rest of the way. He looked at the sunset picture as Severus climbed up.

"So…" Severus said awkwardly, "About last week, Sirius –"

"Why did you pull away?"

Severus startled at Sirius' abrupt question, "I didn't think you would want to kiss me." He answered truthfully.

"Why not?"

Severus laughed harshly, sitting down on one of the sofa's and putting his head in his hands. After a moment he looked up, "Because I'm me." He said, his voice as harsh and cold as his laugh, "I'm a Slytherin, remember. The guy you hate to the bitter end, Snivellus, remember?"

Sirius' face became one showing both hurt and understanding, he hesitated before saying, "What if I don't feel that way anymore? What if I wanted you to kiss me? Then what?"

Severus looked at him curiously, "Then I would say I thought you were straight."

Sirius sat on the sofa next to him, "Bi. I've never had the courage to come out. Publicly at least."

"I don't like the thought of you leaving me for a girl."

"So now I'm in a position where I can leave you?" Sirius grinned and Severus blushed, "Or not leave you, of course. And keep you. Sev? Am I in that position? Can I decide to leave you or keep you?"

"Do you want to be in that position?" Severus murmured, as Sirius edged closer.

For all his Gryffindor courage be damned, Sirius was completely terrified of Severus' reaction when he nodded and said, "Yes. I want to be in that position. I… I want to be with you."

Severus' eyes widened somewhat, and he looked at the Gryffindor, who was looking at his lap. _Here goes nothing._ He moved right next to Sirius, so their thighs were touching, took the younger boys face in his hands and kissed him.

It was light and soft and sweet. Their lips pressed together and their hands intertwined. Sirius' spare hand went to Severus' hair, and Severus' spare hand went to Sirius' hip. When they pulled away, they pressed their foreheads together and smiled.


	11. The Boyfriends and the Who To Tell

Sirius and Severus sat in silence for ages after their first kiss. Well, they lay down. Severus lay with his back propped up by the arm rest, and Sirius rested half on his chest and half on the sofa, back to chest. Severus' arm wound around the younger boy.

"So…" Sirius whispered, "What are we now?"

Severus looked down at the boy, fiddling with his hair, "What do you mean?"

Sirius turned over, so his chest lay on Severus'. "You know what I mean," He said, smiling, "What are we?"

Severus laughed softly, continuing to play with Sirius' hair, "What would you like us to be? Hm? Boyfriends? Your friends won't like that, and we both know it." Sirius groaned, his head falling onto the Slytherin's chest. "We could keep us a secret."

Sirius' head rose, "Yer? I mean… You wouldn't mind?"

"If it means I don't get beat up royally by your friends, who will probably say that I cursed you or something."

"Good point." Sirius said, "I'd tell them… Eventually. I would just need to find a way of easing them into it. Live with you, friends with you, dating you… It might work… Oh, don't give me those raised eyebrows! I'm trying to make a plan here and your completely distracting m- mmmmpph…" His words became nothing as Severus leaned up and placed his lips back on his. The kiss lasted only moments.

Severus pulled away and leaned his head back on the armrest, smiling.

"What was that for?"

Severus chuckled, "Well, it was a pleasant way that we would both enjoy to shut you up. Win win situation right there."

Sirius hit him jokingly on the arm, grinning with him and settling back onto his chest, he sighed. "We'll find a way." He said, "But I do repeat, what are we?"

"And I repeat, what do you want us to be?"

"Severus Snape, will you go out with me?" He sort of blurted it out.

"Yes. Sirius Black, will you be my boyfriend?"

"Yes."

They both grinned and settled down again, their hands found each other and their fingers intertwined. "I KNEW IT!" They jumped a mile into the air.

One Lily Evans, still in her bikini, was poking her head into the tree house, obviously still holding onto the rope ladder manically. She was grinning. Then she laughed and shouted down, "WE WERE RIGHT GIRLS!" There was cheering. Sirius and Severus rolled their eyes and laughed at their friends antics.

"Alright, alright Lils. I got it. You were right; you're excellent and amazing and blah, blah, blah. Can you please leave now?" Severus said, trying to desperately telepathically tell her to leave him and Sirius alone. Said Gryffindor had already burrowed his head into Severus' neck, and judging by the heat Severus could feel there, he was blushing madly.

Lily winked at him, laughed a little and left. Sirius lifted his head, and as Severus had guessed, he was blushing furiously. "Oh good Merlin, that girl will kill us all one day."

Severus was quick to agree.

After looking at the clock, they saw it had been four hours since they had left the pool.

"4 whole hours?" Sirius exclaimed, "What will everyone think?"

"Do you actually care?"

Sirius smiled, relaxing, "No." His smile widened, "So you're officially my boyfriend?"

"I guess so…" Severus whispered, kissing Sirius' temple, holding him tighter and closer, "Who are we going to tell?"

"Everyone here." Sirius said immediately, "But we'll get them to promise not to tell anyone at Hogwarts… I… I wanna tell my friends. The Marauders I mean. I will, I just need to find a way how. You could befriend Remus!"

"Sirius, no."

"Ok, not a good idea." Sirius sighed, "But once I've told them, we'll tell everyone. Sound like a plan?"

Severus nodded, "Sure. Whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?"

"I don't mind keeping us a secret. As long as Lily and mum know, that's fine with me. They're the only ones I would desperately want to know. Everyone here is an added bonus, so I don't have to hide holding your hand for the next five weeks of summer. But school, well, as long as I don't get my ass kicked by your lunatic friends, I'm good."

Sirius grinned. "Do you think your mum will mind?"

Severus hesitated, "Um, small confession. I told her last night I had a crush on you."

Sirius tried not to grin _too_ much, "Oh yer? What did she say?"

"She compared us to Romeo and Juliet. You heard of it? It's –"

"Shakespeare." Sirius finished for him, "I know it. Really? I mean… She's fine with… Us?"

Severus nodded, "One hundred per cent fine with it."

"Sev?"

"Yes?"

"Romeo and Juliet? Me and you? It actually does work…"

"Sirius?"

"Yes?"

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"Why not? Admit it… It fits, Slytherin."

"It fits, but no, Gryffindor."

"So you admit it fits?"

"Yes, Sirius, it fits."

"Sev?"

"What?"

"We fit together pretty well too, don't we?"

"Yer, I guess we do."

Hope you are all enjoying the story, I have some plans for what happens next but it is mostly stuff that happens at Hogwarts, so I may do some major skipping of the summer, as I have nothing to fill it with. If you have any ideas of what could happen in the summer, please review or message me them, and I'll write in some of the best ones!

Thanks! X


	12. The Promise and the Acceptance

Regulus had noticed something strange about his brother this past week. He seemed a bit off. A bit… Well, day-dreamy. He always seemed to be off in the clouds, thinking about something that Regulus didn't know of. He had tried to confront Sirius about what was going on, but the older boy just shrugged him off and said it was nothing to worry about. The problem was; Regulus was already worried. He decided to talk to Lily. After their day at the pool, where both Severus and Sirius were absent, _I really hope they're not fighting_, just before dinner, he managed to catch her.

"Lils?"

The red hair swung round as the girl turned to look at him, a small smile graced her face as she realised who it was, "Hey Reg, you ok?"

He nodded, "Yes, I'm fine but…"

"But?"

"I'm worried about Sirius." He said uncomfortably, Lily's smile grew very wide, so he carried on, "It's just, he's been a bit off this past week. I don't know if it's living here or with _certain people_ he just hasn't been himself and I was wondering if you knew anyth–"

"Stop right there." Lily interrupted him, looking like she was about to burst with glee, "Sirius is absolutely fine, Regulus. I can promise that on heart, home and Hogwarts."

He looked at her, her smile was so wide all her teeth showed, her cheeks were slightly pink and he couldn't help but think, _what does she know? _Instead he asked, "How do you know for sure?"

"I've just seen him… Well, a few hours ago, actually. _Quite a few_, really I should go check on them…"

"Them?"

Regulus questioning tone made her jump out of her mutters, she grinned, winked and said, "You'll see. You will see." Then she walked away. And Regulus was even more confused about someone's sanity than ever.

"DINNER." Eileen's clear voice rang through the house. Regulus shook thoughts from his head and walked to the dining room, falling into a conversation with Jonathon, who he caught along the way.

Everyone filed in and soon the table was full and buzzing. But there were two seats empty.

"Where are Sev and Sirius?" Someone asked,

"Probably off fighting somewhere."

"Or they are standing behind you wondering when you are going to understand that me and Severus have settled our… _differences_ and don't fight any more."

The two boys grinned at each other and then at everyone else, taking their seats at the top of the table. Next to each other. Regulus threw them a curious look when Lily winked at them both and they rolled their eyes.

"So… _Boys_." Lily said, spooning food onto her plate but still looking at them, somehow, "Where _have_ you been all day? You missed lunch."

Sirius coughed on the water he was drinking, having a mental flashback of last week when this had happened, with Aaron asking questions, Severus patted him on the back. "Talking. Getting to know each other a little better."

"Yes… Getting to know each other a little better… _That_ makes sense doesn't - OW!" Severus had kicked her under the table, and then gave her a sweet smile, "That'll bruise, I bet you…"

"Don't know what you're talking about."

Sirius chuckled, shaking his head. He looked around, nearly everyone was immersed in their own conversations, even Lily had turned away to talk to Mia Spirals. He turned to Severus and mouthed, _When are we… You know?_

When Severus gave him a questioning look, he rolled his eyes and shyly took the older boys hand in his own. _When are we going to tell them about this?_

Severus smiled at him, _After dinner?_

_Ok._ Sirius nodded, feeling suddenly very nervous. This was basically Severus' family, well his as well now, but not in the same way. Eileen was Sev's mum, Lily his best friend and the people around him had spent years with him, called him brother. The only person here who was really his family was Reg. The thought terrified him, but the cool hand encircling his own made him calm.

"I'm done." Someone down the table said, and Sirius jumped slightly. He was practically counting down how many people there were left to finish their meal. How many people had placed down their knife and fork, _oh he just picked them up again, 12__ to go_, _11, 7, 5, 4,3,2,1… Crap._ Ava, the last one, put down her knife and fork, smacked her lips and grinned.

Severus squeezed his hand before letting it go and opened his mouth, "SEVERUS HAS SOMETHING TO SAY."

Everyone looked at Lily, Sirius and Severus glared at her but she just winked. "Thank you for that Lily," Severus hissed, before looking at everyone else, "Um, I'm sure everyone knows that I'm gay by now, the girls must have spread it around." By the guilty looks on their faces and the knowing ones on everyone else's, he knew he was right. "Of course but um…" He groaned, "Basically I'm dating someone."

Everyone looked at lot more interested now. Eileen, Lily and the girls exchanged huge grins.

"It's not someone you would expect, no neither of us has slipped each other a potion and for Merlin's sake if you tell anyone at school we will –"

"Is it Sirius?" Ava and Avye chirped at the same time. Everyone stared at them. Then Severus. Then Sirius.

"Um, yes."

"!" Lily, of course. She screamed loudly, jumped out of her chair, ran round the table and hugged Severus to an inch of his life. He was literally turning blue by the time she let him go and hugged Sirius. "I'm so happy for you!" She said, kissing Sirius' cheek lightly.

Everyone else got up and hugged them, "Don't go breaking his heart now." Janine whispered to Sirius, who nodded.

"I won't, I promise."

When everyone drew back to their seats, both Severus and Sirius looked to Eileen. She was sitting with her arms crossed, her foot was tapping against the floor was her lips were pulled thin.

"Mum?"

Eileen smiled at the pair of them. And just like that, Sirius and Severus, them being together was accepted.


	13. The Letter and the Fighting Of Battles

Now, in a relationship between Severus Snape and Sirius Black, you would automatically think that Sirius is the more masculine… well, man, in the relationship, with Severus as 'the girl' as such, the less dominant one. You would be wrong.

It came as a surprise to many, that it was always Severus holding Sirius in his arms, not the other way round, Severus with his arm around Sirius' waist, Severus that whispered things to Sirius and made him grin widely and laugh.

No one really knew why it was like that. But it was, Severus was Romeo and Sirius his Juliet, or… Well, his Julian.

Regulus' response to his brothers new relationship was different then everyone else's. Whereas many people had suspected something, Regulus was completely and utterly gobsmacked. The day after Sirius and Severus' announcement, he walked up to the pair, stared at their interlinked hands for a few moments, before managing to choke out, "I'm happy for you both." Before he walked away promptly. After a few days he was used to it, and smiled when they pair held hands or where wrapped together in an embrace.

Now, it was exactly two weeks since they had left Hogwarts, and they had four weeks left in their summer, Lily told them that morning. But at this moment in time, Sirius sat with his back resting against Severus' shoulder, an arm tucked protectively around his waist, reading.

He didn't read a lot, did Sirius. He preferred pranks and the planning of said pranks. But he had found a book of Severus' mothers, a Shakespeare one, named Romeo and Juliet, the modern version. He had only read the original, with the writing and speech of the time it was written, and was enthralled to read a modern version. He had hardly put it down.

He was at a good part, the wedding scene, when a large eagle owl flew in and perched on the armrest on the other side the couple. "That's James' owl." Sirius said, a little wide eyed, as he plucked the letter from the bird, and he flew off again.

_Dear Sirius, _

_Well, I have to say that I am hurt! You left without so much as a good bye on the train and not contacted any Marauder for two weeks, including me! Jokes, I'm not really mad at you, but two weeks and no news of the parents, no rants, no arguments, no nothing to share? I have to say I'm surprised my friend. Ok, so Pete and Remus are coming round to mine for the day next week, on Tuesday, and todays Friday, so that's 4 days from now. Wanna come? It'll get you out of that, and I quote, "Horrible, dark and dismal place". Owl me. _

_James. _

"Who says "Jokes, not really"? I mean, I've called him an idiot for years but is that really how much of an idiot he is? Cause just that, plus the "I'm going to tell you how many days that is, because you obviously can't" says a lot about him." Severus said, Sirius hit him lightly on the arm that held him.

"Stop reading over my shoulder."

"You have my deepest apologies," Severus said, but he was grinning and Sirius knew it, "Are you going to go?"

"I don't know." Sirius replied, tucking the letter into his trouser pocket, "How would I get there?"

Severus kissed his temple, "Mum can drive you."

"Yes, that would look great. "Who's that driving the car Sirius?" "Oh no one, just Severus Snape's mum."

"Good point. You could say she's a family friend or something, just giving you a lift."

"Do you mind if I go?"

"Course not," Severus frowned, pressing his cheek against Sirius', "Why would I?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Oh right, because you just _love_ my friends."

"Another good point." Severus laughed, lying backwards a bit and dragging Sirius with him, so he was on the Slytherin's chest. Sirius loved to be in contact with Severus, it made him feel special and loved. As if proving the point, Severus kissed his cheek lightly, "It'll be ok. I'll be there for you, whatever happens."

"I don't need you to fight my battles."

"I still will."


	14. The Past and the Present

"Why don't you tell him about your past?" Lily asked Severus the next Monday, as they sat at the edge of the pool. Severus froze up a little. "You know about his past, or a little bit anyway."

"I don't know…" Severus muttered, "It's nothing special."

Lily smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder, "Then no need to worry about telling him, eh?"

Severus rolled his eyes as she left, putting on more sunscreen before jumping into the pool. He contemplated what she had said. Could he tell Sirius about his past? His _dad_? The messy divorce of his parents. About _her._ He told the truth, it wasn't nearly as bad as anyone who had come to Halfway, but still… It wasn't a situation a lot of people like to talk about, Severus being one of them. He looked at Sirius, who was in the pool, helping Ava swim, encouraging her, cheering her on. _I have to tell him_.

He checked it was ok with his mum first. It was her he was going to be talking about after all.

He decided after dinner would be a good time.

"Are you ok?" Sirius asked, looking up at him concerned as they sat down for dinner, like every night, with the family. He took his boyfriend's hand, squeezing it gentle, Severus nodded, "Are you sure?"

"I'm fine Siri," Severus said, leaning down he kiss Sirius' cheek, "Promise. But… Uh, could I talk to you? After dinner I mean. In private."

"Is this about me going to see the Marauders?" Sirius whispered; he shook his head, "If you don't want to me to go, I won't. I don't want to upset –"

"No, no." Severus laughed, "No, I told you I'm fine with you going to see Potter and Lupin and Pettigrew. They're your friends. I just… I wanna talk to you."

Sirius looked a bit nervous but he nodded. After they had finished, Severus took his hand and led him to one of the living rooms in a quieter section of the house. They sat like they usually did, automatically, with Sirius laying in Severus' arms, "So what's this about?" Sirius asked quietly, moving his head to look up at Severus.

"It's just… I know about your past, sort of. And well… I thought, maybe, I could tell you about mine. And about Halfway and how that started."

Sirius smiled, nodding. "I would like that."

Severus took a breath, "When I was ten, my life was pretty much amazing." He smiled, remembering lost memories, "My mum and my dad were in love, I was a loved child, I grew up in a beautiful manor house with everything my ten year old self wanted."

"What happened?" Sirius asked softly, seeing the lost look in his boyfriend's eyes."

"One day, I saw my mum and dad arguing. My dad… He hit mum." Sirius' eyes grew wide, "I am ashamed to say I hid."

"You were ten."

"I was a coward." Severus said bitterly,

Sirius curled himself closer to the boy, "Sev, you were ten years old. At that age your first reaction is not to run at a fully grown man and try and hold him back."

Severus nodded, sighing, "Anyway, my mum doesn't like to talk about it but I think the abuse went on for a while. One day," He gulped, "I was in the garden and suddenly I heard yelling. Lots of yelling. I ran back into the house and saw at least five policemen wrestling my dad to the floor, I started screaming. Mum ran over to me, she had a split lip and a black eye. And Dad was yelling and struggling against the police, shouting abuse at mum, at the policeman." A tear fell.

"Sev, I'm sorry I never knew."

"Did you know that I have, or had, a sister?" Severus said quietly, and Sirius' looked up at him astonished, "Leah. Leah Snape, she's eleven this year. Maybe even starting Hogwarts, I don't know. If she was I think Dumbledore would have told me. Anyway, she was five years old at that time, and she came down the stairs and saw all these policeman and we saw her. The next thing I remember is some policeman walking over to her, another holding mum back, picking up Leah, who started to cry and reach for me and mum, and taking her away. They never took me away. Only her."

"Why only Leah?"

"I never knew." Severus said, "But I haven't seen her or my dad since." He looked at his hands. Sirius kissed him.

"Can I tell you about my past?"

Severus looked at him, slightly confused, and nodded.

"My parents and me, our relationship as parent and son was great. Until I was sorted into Gryffindor. Until then, I was as loved as Regulus is now. A new broomstick every year. Presents at birthday and Christmas. Loving comments every day that made your heart lift just that little bit. Hugs and kisses. But once I was sorted, that changed. The howler I got from mum and dad on the third day of term, I opened it in the Gryffindor Tower, it was my mum shouting at me for not being a Slytherin, for being a dirty blood-traitor Gryffindor. When I went home for Christmas, I was as loved as one of the house-elves. Dad spat on me. Mum made me cook and clean for two weeks straight. My only Christmas present was a squashed banana. I was so happy to be back at Hogwarts. It just got worst throughout the years. The… Um, the physical abuse didn't start until year three of school." Severus looked at him, mouth open, "It was just hits to start with. Then a belt once, this and that, it hurt but you know…"

"No. Can't say I do." Severus looked furious, "Can I take him to court?"

"My dad? No, you can't…" Sirius said, "It doesn't matter."

"You matter to me. So actually, yes it does matter."

Sirius grinned and kissed Severus' cheek, before settling his head in the crook of the Slytherin's neck, "And no matter how insanely sweet that is, no you still can't. But I'm glad we know a little bit more about each other."

"Yer, it makes the present more trustable." Severus agreed. He took Sirius' hand and intertwined their fingers. "Are you looking forward to seeing the Marauders tomorrow?"

Sirius didn't say anything for a few seconds, "Yes and no. Yes because, well, they're my friends. But no because I hate the thought of losing them if they don't like this." He indicated to their hands.

"Do you like this?" Severus asked, also indicated to their hands.

"Of course I do. I love being your boyfriend but –"

"Then if they're true friends," Severus cut in, "They won't mind."

Sirius settled down happily, "I like this present moment."

Severus smiled, holding Sirius' closer and tighter, "Me too."


	15. The Marauders and the Disappointment

The next day, Sirius kissed Severus goodbye and climbed into Eileen's car, heading for Potter Manor, a one hour drive away. Along the way, the two of them talked and laughed and generally had a good time. Sirius hadn't spoken properly, in a full conversation, to Eileen since he had moved into the Halfway House, and it was nice to talk to her.

And as she parked outside Potter Manor, she winked at him and said, "Just don't break my son's heart, ok?"

"Or you'll break my nose?"

"Exactly." Eileen laughed, "Off you go, and I'll pick you up at five. Go, your friends are coming." Sure enough, when Sirius looked out of the window, three figures were running up the drive.

"See you later Eileen."

"See you later Sirius. And good luck with telling your friends about Sev!"

"Thanks! I'm terrified!"

He climbed out of the car, which promptly left. Sirius waved and Eileen waved back, he could see in the rear-view mirror. "Hey Dude!" Sirius was pulled into a 'guy hug' with James. "Who was that?" As Sirius said Hi to Remus and Peter, James nodded to where the car had just been. "Didn't know if you were gonna come, you said in your message, cause you didn't know if you could of gotten a lift. I told you mum would have picked you up."

"You don't need to drive to my place." Sirius said quickly, thinking of James' mum meeting Eileen and then seeing Severus and the dread of that thought continued until James cut in.

"So who was it?"

"Just a family friend."

James' shrugged and they all walked back to the house.

Potter Manor was amazing. Considering the Potter family was nearly as wealthy and well known as the Black's, it was going to be. High ceilings and chandeliers and Victorian fireplaces where what this place was all about. "Sirius!"

Maria Potter ran in and hugged the boy. Harry Potter followed a smile on his face as he shook Sirius' hand, asking, "How are you m'boy? We haven't seen you so far into this summer! I think two weeks is a record, don't you reckon Maria? No visits or numerous owls flying in and disturbing breakfast? It's been so quiet."

Sirius laughed and James' rolled his eyes, Peter and Remus smiled. "Is that a bad thing or a good thing Harry?"

"I'm not quite sure." Harry laughed, "When are you staying till? Did you need a lift home?"

"Five and no, Eil- A family friend is getting me home." Sirius said, James quickly led the three of them upstairs, calling back that they would come down for lunch later, it was only ten.

When they got to James' room, the glasses-clad boy quickly locked the door, turned, grinned and said, "I think this is an excellent time to start to start planning the pranks of next year."

"Already getting into trouble and we're not halfway through the holidays." Remus groaned, rolling his eyes. James' swatted him over the head.

"Any time is a time for pranking." He grinned, "Especially on the Slytherin's of Hogwarts."

"And even more especially, Snivels." Peter added, and James nodded.

Sirius mentally groaned, two minutes in and they were already going to talk about how much they disliked Severus. Great.

"Defiantly Snivels." James agreed, "Remus, did you bring that book?"

Remus looked hesitant as he handed it over, "Try one of the less… uh, permanent spells James."

James looked up with a huge smile on his face, his eyes alight, "Some of these can be done _permanently?"_

_Nice work Remus_. Sirius thought.

"Sirius, what'd you think of this one?" The book was practically shoved under his nose and suddenly he was looking at a picture of someone's face, covered in red boils and they're lips a pale green. "A nice 'Welcome Back to Hogwarts' for Snape, don't you think? Moony, do you think you could charm the boils to say something?"

"Possibly." Remus shrugged, "But really Prongs, I don't think it's wise to be playing childish pranks. For Merlin's sake, we're not bloody 1st years anymore. We're nearly qualified to use magic out of school and about to start studying for our NEWTS, do you really wanna fail those to play some stupid pranks on someone who you've already made miserable for years?"

Everyone looked astonished at Remus. They didn't know whether to be more surprised that he stood up to James, said everything in a really pissed off tone, told it so truthfully is sort of hurt, or said Bloody. Remus, of all people, said Bloody. Remus!

Mentally Sirius said, _Wait a go Moony! You tell him!_

Then James laughed, "Come off it Moony. They're not childish pranks, they are careful, precise plans neatly mapped out to perfection, with complicated spells that require a certain level of magic. And I know we're not 1st years anymore, and our newt work is just gonna add to the complexity of these pranks! Are you guys taking Charms?" They all nodded, "And Potions?" They all nodded. "Great! Cause those are the two things we use most in pranks."

Sirius couldn't help but notice how James had carefully avoided the 'miserable for years' part of Moony's little speech.

"What about Lily?" Remus said,

"What about her?" James said, eyeing Remus slightly. "What about Lily?"

"You know she hates you hurting Severus. I thought you were trying to impress her."

James looked angry at this comment, his smile turning into a snarl, he dropped onto his bed with a slight air of defeat, "I can't believe she hangs with him. Dirty Slytherin. Oh Merlin, you don't think she is going out_ with him_? Do you?"

_Oh no. I know for a fact she's not. But as a matter of fact, I am!_

"Course not James," Peter said, rolling his eyes, "Lily go out with Snape, as if."

"You're right," James laughed, adding, "Who in they're right state of mind would date Snivels Snape, greasy Slytherin?" And just like that, the confidence that Sirius had had in telling his friends about his new relationship, disappeared.

"I mean, come on. He's obsessed with the dark arts; you're all taking that too right? Cool. And he's uncool, greasy and forever alone!"

_He is the big brother of the biggest family at school, I don't call that alone. He is not obsessed with the dark arts, not uncool, not greasy, and like hell is he ever gonna be alone, family or not, if I'm around!_

"Sirius you ok? Your eyes looked crossed."

"I'm fine." Sirius said, forcing a smile, "Headache is all. Spend enough time in a dismal place like my house and you're not used to all this sunlight."

James laughed and carried on insulting Severus. By lunchtime, Sirius was about to burst. But all the insults and the comments made Sirius know; this was defiantly something he was going to have to ease the Marauders into. Otherwise, Merlin knows what their horrid reaction might be. Hate. Anger. Disgust. Betrayal.

"So, what have you guys done this summer?"

Sirius shrugged, "Nothing."

"I was in France all last week." Remus said, showing his tanned arms, "In Paris with my mother."

"I've been staying with my dad." Peter said, munching on some crisps, "In Wales."

They talked the whole day about their holidays and their courses next years, teachers and friends, enemies and pranks, everything.

But the part of the day which Sirius hated most, was not the part where his "friends" talked about his boyfriend in such a terrible manner, but when he climbed into Eileen Snape's car at two past five, and seeing the disappointed look on her face as he shook his head.

_Some Gryffindor I am…_


	16. The Results and the Alley

Sirius hated the questions he got from everyone when he got back from James' house.

"_Did you tell them?"_

"_How did they take it?"_

And he had to turn around and say, "I didn't tell them."

Surprisingly, it was Severus who was the least disappointed. He smiled, shrugged and said, "It wasn't the right time for you to tell them. It's fine Sirius. I told you, if you wanna keep us a secret for a while, that's fine with me." Then hugged him, took his hand and led him to the dining room for dinner.

Eileen was the most disapproving. "Well, _why_ exactly didn't you?" She pressed, "_Why?_"

"Mum," Severus finally snapped, and everyone turned to him with raised eyebrows, "If you went round to your friend's house, and they started insulting your new boyfriend who you hadn't told them about yet, would you really like to stand up and say "Hey, by the way, that guy you and me have hated for years, yer, I'm dating him now", would you?"

Eileen's angry frown faded, "No, I suppose not. I'm sorry Sirius but I just wanted to know how they would take it… It's a pretty big jump."

"Yer," Lily laughed, "Cursing each other one week and the next acting like you've been together for years, pretty big jump I'd say."

Severus and Sirius both smiled and linked their hands under the table, "Thank you?" Sirius said, his smile shy.

He slept happy that night, but the morning brought the greatest happiness.

"The owls are here!" Someone shouted at breakfast, and suddenly, twenty odd owls flew in through the window, causing much panic and screaming. They dropped a letter with everyone but Ava and Avye, and when everyone turned them over, they saw the site that warmed their hearts.

The red Hogwarts seal.

"Finally!" Harry grinned down at his first ever Hogwarts letter, ripping it open, "Ooh, I can't wait to get my wand and my books and all my things! I wonder what house I'll be in. Hufflepuff like you Mia, or a Slytherin with Sev? Or a Gryffindor like Lily, a Ravenclaw like Jonathon do you think-"

"What do you wanna be Harry?" Severus laughed, Harry grinned.

"I don't mind, as long as I can finally go! Whoop whoop, Hogwarts here I come!"

Everyone laughed and opened their own letters. Severus, Sirius, Lil and Sammy, those going into their 6th year, looked down at theirs more nervously, with gripped hands. This was it. Their OWL's results.

Sirius opened his slowly, unfolding the paper slowly.

_Care of Magical Creatures – E_

_Defence against the dark arts – O_

_History of Magic – A_

_Transfiguration – O_

_Charms – O_

_Herbology – O_

_Ancient Runes – A_

_Potions – O_

_Muggle Studies – E_

_Arithmancy – E_

Sirius grinned. Five Outstandings, three Exceeds Expectations and two Acceptable. Severus leaned and looked at his scores; he kissed his cheek, "Well done!"

Sirius looked over at Sev's, and had to roll his eyes.

_Care of Magical Creatures – E_

_Defence against the dark arts – O_

_History of Magic – E_

_Transfiguration – O_

_Charms – O_

_Herbology – O_

_Ancient Runes – O_

_Potions – O_

_Muggle Studies – E_

_Arithmancy– O_

"Of course, nothing under an E." Sirius grinned, kissing Severus on the lips, "Well done, that's amazing."

"What did you get Sev?" Eileen asked,

"7 Outstandings and 3 Exceeds Expectations." Severus said sheepishly, and everyone (the girls) squealed and ran to hug him congratulations, the guys looked on half shocked and half jealous. Eileen smiled and gave him the longest hug, "I am so proud of you!"

Everyone looked at Sirius' and grinned, congratulating him.

"Lily you've been very quiet." The red hair was staring wide eyed at her letter. "Are you ok?"

"Um, yer well… I got… Well…"

"WHAT?"

Lily looked up, "I got ten Outstandings."

Everyone screamed at once, even the boys. Sirius ripped her letter from her hands and Severus read over his shoulder.

_Care of Magical Creatures – O_

_Defence against the dark arts – O_

_History of Magic – O_

_Transfiguration – O_

_Charms – O_

_Herbology – O_

_Ancient Runes – O_

_Potions – O_

_Muggle Studies – O_

_Arithmancy– O_

"Oh my Merlin Lils!" Severus dragged Lily into a tight hug, "You're brilliant, you're absolutely brilliant!"

Lily still seemed to be in shock. She kept muttering, "Outstanding… Ten Outstandings… Me… Outstanding… Muggle born… Outstanding…"

"Sammy!" Eileen asked, laughing, "What about you?"

They all peered at Sammy's,

_Care of Magical Creatures – A_

_Defence against the dark arts – E_

_History of Magic – E_

_Transfiguration – O_

_Charms – O_

_Herbology – O_

_Ancient Runes – O_

_Potions – O_

_Muggle Studies – E_

_Arithmancy – A_

"I'm so proud of all you!" Eileen cried, "Go get ready; we'll go to Diagon Ally today as a treat!"

"GUYS AND GIRLS!" Severus shouted suddenly, "Remember, if you see anyone we know, me and Sirius are NOT together, nor does he live here. Got it? Me and Sirius will part ways once we get to Diagon Ally so don't talk to either of us about each other and expect a kind retort, we don't know who's listening."

Everyone nodded, all running off to their rooms to collect galleons and get changed, "We're going out in public!" all the girls said, putting lippy and mascara on, finding jackets with pockets and making sure they had their lists.

They took the floo powder, and they had to wait until Severus and Sirius were done kissing, (Just saying goodbye, Sirius said), which had to be interrupted by Lily physically forcing them apart.

"See ya later love." Severus murmured into Sirius' hair, kissed his temple and walked into the fireplace. "DIAGON ALLY." He disappeared in the green flames.

_Love…_ Sirius grinned and mentally happy danced, "DIAGON ALLY."

He had to cough as he emerged from the flames. Then he grinned. He loved the direct fire entrance to Diagon Ally. Just in front of the Leaky Cauldron entrance, as soon as you got there you had a full, beautiful view of the Ally. Filled with all shops magic.

He saw Eileen shepherded everyone and shouting they were going to Gringotts first, so he followed behind them, making sure he wasn't going to lose them but still not looking like he was with him. Though he loved Halfway and was not ashamed of living there, people knew Severus lived there. And would connect the dots.

Once inside Gringotts, he waited in line and after taking a rather nauseating ride, he went to his vault. He was so glad he requested a vault that wasn't the same as his families, when they said he could store in his money in the family vault, much further down. He had said he wanted to feel independent and his single vault was further down enough.

He took plenty of money out, storing it into a bag (Remus again) that had a charm on. The ride out was just as nauseating.

As soon as he was out, he heard Eileen shouting, "No later than 5 to be home! You can have lunch in Diagon Ally! Severus, look after the younger ones! Lily you take Leather and Sorrel to get their wands!"

But there was another shout that he heard, "SIRIUS OVER HERE."

He turned to see Remus running down the Ally, a grin plastered on his face, "Hey!" He said, "You have the bag I got you! Are you here alone?"

Sirius looked around and then nodded, "Uh yes. Regulus is around but he's with friends."

"Wanna go round together?"

Sirius hesitated, "Sure, why not." He said after a moment, nodding.

Remus asked him about his Owl results, and then came a more… different topic. "You seemed upset yesterday."

"What?"

Remus looked up at him, shrugged, "When we were talking about Snape I mean. You looked upset and mad. Why?"

"I wasn't mad!" Sirius said heatedly, his face flushing just a little bit, "I wasn't upset! Why would I get upset over _Snivellus?_" The name caused him a little bit of pain.

Remus gave him a half smile, "I was hoping you had grown up a little and had decided to stop pranking him. You know how I disapprove of your torturing."

_An opportunity! _A voice in Sirius' mind screamed loud and clear, "Well, it's like you said." He shrugged, trying to act calm and collect, "We're newt students now, we shouldn't be messin' around, we need to focus on our studies if we wanna get the grades we need for the future, right?"

"Right," Remus smiled at him, "Someone grew wiser this summer."

_Someone is dating the boy he used to torture, things change_.

"Hey did you know Lily got _ALL Outstandings! _I ran into her earlier."

Sirius tried to act surprised, "Oh, wow, that's great!"

Remus was the main conversationalist as they walked around, gathering things for their subjects they were taking next year like their books and ingredients. Asking him what subjects he was taking next year, how his parents were being (trying to lie convincingly is hard, Sirius found,) and other things. They had lunch too, and were finally finished at 4:31, not long before Eileen's deadline to be back home.

As they parted, Remus hugged him and as he stepped into the fireplace called, "I'm really glad you've decided to stop pranking Snape Sirius!" Then he yelled something, probably the name of his house, and disappeared.

_If only you knew…_


	17. The Article and the Restraining Order

A week later (Only three weeks of summer left! Lily groaned) as Sirius came downstairs for breakfast, he noticed some odd looks from his housemates and friends. When he finally sat at the dining room table, kissed Severus good morning and whispered to him, "Why is everyone staring?"

A newspaper was slammed down in front of him, "Sorry!" Lily said, "I'm just angry at her!"

On the front page of the daily prophet, was Sirius and Regulus Black.

_Interview with Walburga and Orion Black over their missing children! The parents are devastated at the disappearance of their children, and beg them, or they're captors, to come or bring them home. _Then there was a long interview with the words, _Dev__astation, hole in my heart, my babies_ in.

Sirius' heart wrenched, "Oh you saw the article."

Regulus stood behind him frowning. "Yer, I see it." Sirius gulped, Severus snaked an arm around his waist.

"Are you ok?"

"Hm." Sirius said, starting to panic, "Fine. I'm fine. The whole school including my friends are going to know we ran away. Then they're going to ask where I live. Then they're going to find out about us and they'll hate me and then -!"

"SIRIUS CALM DOWN." Lily yelled, shaking his shoulders. Severus frowned and pulled him into his side protectively.

"It's going to be ok." He whispered, his other hand resting on Sirius' hip, "I promise."

"You sure you wanna promise that?" Sirius asked, clearly nervous, his head tucking into the crook of the Slytherin's neck.

"Sure." Severus rolled his eyes, leaning down to kiss the Gryffindor's cheek, "I promise."

Sirius managed a smile at that, and nestled closer. It was amazing what this guy had done to him. Only weeks ago they were mortal enemies, now put them together and all Sirius wanted was to be that little bit closer, to be held that little bit tighter.

Eileen stormed in, "Regulus and Sirius, please follow me I need to talk to you both. Severus and Lily you may come if you wish." The four followed Eileen into another room, the living room that Severus and Sirius so often talked alone in. "Please sit." Eileen gestured to them. "I am sure by now all four of you have seen the article Walburga and Orion Black have put in the Daily Prophet."

Lily nodded, "We were just looking at it, actually, in the dining room."

Eileen sighed, "I want to discuss with you, Regulus and Sirius, the proposition of a restraining order."

All the 6th years understood this, and Sirius' grip got a little tighter on Severus' hand, but Regulus looked confused, "What is a restraining order?" He asked, edging closer to his brother.

"It means that someone can't come within a certain distance of you, legally." Eileen told him, "If you would like, we can go to the Ministry today and certify that, as well as transferring all legal guardianship to myself."

"I would like a restraining order." Sirius said suddenly, "I wouldn't be surprised if Mum came after me at school, she knows this would have been my idea. I would like something legally there to keep her away."

Eileen nodded in understanding, she asked, "Regulus, would you like -"

"Yes." Regulus interrupted, "Yes I would."

"Then it's settled." Eileen said, "Go finish your breakfast, get ready and we'll head to the ministry. Severus and Lily I would say you could come but someone has to hold the fort here, and I don't think Daniel can do it on his own."

They both nodded and the four of them left. They got looks all through breakfast and the rustling of a newspaper never stopped but soon enough Regulus, Eileen and Sirius were stepping into a fireplace and yelling, "THE BRITISH MINISTRY OF MAGIC."

They came tumbling out of the fireplace one by one. "Stay close." Eileen told them, edging through people. They headed up to the 3rd floor, walked along to one office and Eileen knocked, "Come in!" Came a deep voice from within the room. Eileen nodded reassuringly to the boys.

The room within was quite large, with a large man behind a large deck. He grinned at Eileen and the moustache on his face flicked a little, "Eileen!" He boomed, giving the woman a hug, "My dear I haven't seen you in a while! Come to transfer more children to your care I take it?" Then he looked at the boys and his eyes widened, "Sirius and Regulus Black." He looked back to Eileen, "They _weren't _captured then. Then ran away. To you."

"Indeed they did Michael." Eileen smiled sadly, "And they, the parents, know that. But they're milking it, as always."

"Please sit," Michael made three chairs appear, "Now, is it your wish, you two, to be legally put into Ms Snape's care?"

"Yes, it is." They both said, nodding.

"Good. Now it is all very simple when you have magic to use in this situation." Michael told them, "You two must take this one test, a very simple spell I will perform; to make sure you are not under any curses that will make you say that. Eileen, you need no checks on the house given your track record is exemplary, and I will write up the documents and send them to the Blacks."

"There is one other thing," Eileen said,

"Anything." Michael smiled.

"The boys and I have discussed a restraining order on the mother and father."

"Ah," Michael said, "I see. And you two, you boys, this is something you would like to have?"

"Yes." Sirius and Regulus said together.

Michael replied, "Then that is also simple. The ways magic makes things simpler! You will have to fill out some forms which I will send to a judge for them to look after, they may want to interview you or maybe not, before they send back an answer. That answer will either be a yes and needing some signatures, or a no. Understanding so far?"

Everyone nodded, "Then can we begin?" Eileen smiled and Michael nodded.

"Please stand Sirius and Regulus, just to the side of your chairs is fine." He whispered something and a blue shimmer of light flew towards either boy. It flew around them for a minute each before turning red and disappearing.

"What just happened?" Sirius asked,

"That little ball of light was just checking for any curses that could make you tell me something you don't want to. Like, if you wanted to say no to a restraining order, but Eileen had cursed you into saying yes -"

"She wouldn't do that." Sirius growled, and everyone smiled at his protectiveness of Eileen.

"I know, but if she had, that little ball of light would have told me so. Since it turned red, it means you are both clean and so is Eileen." Michael smiled, and the twitch of his moustache was really starting to annoy Sirius. "Now, Eileen sign here, here and there." She did so, "And Sirius, here and here." He did so, "And Regulus, here and there." He did so, "Congratulations, Eileen is now your official guardian."

"That's it?" Sirius asked in astonishment,

"Do you want us to ask your parents' permission?" Michael asked politely,

"No! No that's ok." Regulus and Sirius both shook their heads and then hugged Eileen.

"Welcome," Eileen grinned, "Officially, to the family guys."

"The family that just keeps getting bigger and bigger." Michael shook his head, "You are a good woman Eileen, taking all these children in. I forget who you took first…"

"Lily Evans." Eileen told him, and Michael smiled.

"Of course, cute little red head with the most beautiful emerald eyes. She will be a smart one, I tell you now."

"Past that Michael," Eileen laughed, "Lily just got ten Outstandings for her OWLS."

Michael laughed as well, replying, "Oh my! I cannot remember when that was last done! Amazing, amazing of course. Give her my congratulations."

"I will," Eileen said, "Now, the restraining order?"

"Ah yes, ah yes." The man took some forms from his desk, "Here we go. Now, just let me fill these in. Why do you want the order?"

Sirius was the one to answer, "Because my mother has physically abused me before and I am afraid that she will come after both me and Regulus now we have run away. She is certainly nothing like the papers are describing her, that's a load of lies."

Michael wrote it all down, mumbling, "Who against… Abused… Living with now… Your date of births?" They told him, "Excellent, Sirius sign here," He did so, "And Regulus here." He did so.

"How long before we get an answer?" Eileen asked,

"Not long," Michael told her confidently, "The Minister likes to make sure restraining orders are done very quickly, he believes that it is crucial we answer the needs of those who go to these lengths, so has just employed an amazing new team especially for working on restraining orders and giving the answers they acquire. No more than a day or two."

Eileen stood and the two boys followed her example, "Thank you, once again, Michael. You are excellent as always."

"Ah my dear woman, as are you." Michael said, "Nice to meet you two boys, I hope you get what you wish and don't worry! You are in excellent hands, I have transferred the guardianship of all Eileen's adopted, and I have had no complaints or wants of 'take back' yet. Eileen, say well done to Lily and hello to Severus for me would you? I will send these papers to the right office immediately."

"Of course, thank you Michael." They waved as they left.

"He seems nice." Regulus commented as they walked back towards the fireplaces.

"Yes he is. Very… efficient." Eileen agreed,

"Eileen!" They all turned around to see a woman scurrying towards them, "Eileen!"

"Millie!" Eileen said in surprise, "Boys stay close."

"Eileen I haven't seen you in forever!" Millie said, giving the woman a hug, her eyes widened at the boys, "Are they -"

"Yes they are and no you can't." Eileen cut in,

Millie looked up innocently, "What?"

"No you cannot have an interview!" Eileen scolded, "They are children, no!"

"Oh come on!" Millie grinned, "This is the information the whole world wants, not an interview, just a small piece on where they are now."

"NO!" Eileen shouted, "Millie I forbid you. We are currently trying to keep these boys as far away from their parents as possible. We do not want someone blowing their location! That means you!"

Millie sighed, "Fine, fine. I will not run a piece."

Eileen turned to the confused Blacks, "This is Millie Samuels, journalist for the Daily Prophet. Runs a piece on anything she can get her hands on."

"Unless it's a friend and they tell me not to, which unfortunately is the case." Millie smiled, "Nice to meet you boys. Eileen it was great seeing you, but I have to dash, I have a meeting in ten minutes with the minister."

Eileen grinned, "Moving up in the world of journalism I see."

Millie shrugged, "Knew I would get there eventually! See ya soon!"

"Bye!" Eileen called as Millie scurried off, "Come on boys."

"_Who was that!" _Regulus asked,

Eileen smiled, "I told you. Millie Samuels, she's a journalist for the Daily Prophet. I went to school with her; she loved writing articles about the cutest couples in Hogwarts, the new teacher, anything. She got accepted into the Little Witches Writers Program at College after we graduated and has been moving up in the world of journalism ever since."

When they got home they were bombarded with questions about what happened in 'Michael's office' which Sirius realised everyone here at gone through. It really was a family. A family bound together by disaster, as he had told Regulus only a few weeks ago. Severus took his hand and led him away from the crowd, settling for sitting in each other's company and talking to pass the hours by.

The next morning a thin envelope was dropped on Eileen's breakfast plate and when she opened it this is what she read,

_To Eileen Prince-Snape_

_I am pleased to inform you that your request for a restraining order, against Walburga Black and Orion Black, on behalf of Sirius Black and Regulus Black has been confirmed. Mrs and Mr Black are legally not allowed within 300 yards of Sirius or Regulus. This includes while they are studying at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and so forth Walburga has been taken off of the Hogwarts Governors. I wish you well with your new guardianship._

_Sincerely, _

_M. Grey. _

And then Eileen looked at her children. All twenty three of them. She looked at Ava and Avye, so young. Daniel, the oldest. Regulus, Mike and Jonathon new best friends. Lily talking to Mia about something girly. Harry talking to Leather and Sorrel, all three of them excited for their first year at Hogwarts. Aaron and Janice looking at each other from the corner of their eyes. Sophia laughing with Robin and Alicia. Mathew and Alex discussing some new ministry law. Sam with crossed arms looking at everyone else. Kirsty and Ella playing with their hair. And Sirius leaning against her biological son's shoulder, smiling widely and holding Severus' hand while they talked and laughed together.

_No mother can be __prouder._


	18. The Couples and the Decoration

Sirius had had enough. Janice and Aaron. Lily and Sam. They kept looking at each from the corner of their eyes and it was seriously annoying him. He decided to take action. He knew Sam liked Lily, and then he talked to Severus and he said Lily had admitted to liking Sam.

After breakfast, the day his restraining order was agreed, he steered Sam aside, "Hey." The boy grinned, "What's up Sirius?"

"You," Sirius poked him in the chest, "Is what's up. You and Lily."

Sam blanched, "What about me and Lily?"

"DUDE! You need to ask her out!"

"NO!" Sam responded, his face terrified as he shook his head, "She'll say no and I'll be humiliated!"

"But you like her!"

"So?"

"So!" Sirius hit him and Sam yelped, "Ask. Her. Out!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"YES!"

"NO!"

"SHE'LL SAY YES I PROMISE JUST ASK HER!"

Sam shut up. He looked left, to right, as if looking for a person to jump out at him, then back to Sirius. "How do you know for sure she'll say yes?" He asked suspiciously.

Sirius groaned, "I just do. I don't know if it's the lovey person that has recently emerged in me talking, but you really need to ask Lily out." He eyed Sam, "If you break her heart however, you will become the Marauders new target."

"Speaking of that, how are you going to stop the Marauders going after Sev if you're not telling them that you're snoggin' the boy?"

Sirius hit him. "Me and Severus do not _snog_."

"Fine, you kiss high passionately and heatedly." Sam laughed, "Otherwise known as snogging."

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Me and Sev do _not_ _sn_ – Hey we are going off subject. Look Sam, I know you like Lily, we all know you like Lily. In three weeks we go back to Hogwarts, and then there will be dozens of guys who know that Lily is smart and beautiful and if she's not your girlfriend by then, some other guy is going to ask her out, and she might say no, but she could say yes. And that will be your opportunity gone. Gone like a snap of the fingers. Do you want that? Is that what you want? Hm? I don't want that for you. Do us all a favour, a favour for me and Sirius and Eileen, everyone in this house, and you and Lily too, ask her out."

Then Sirius left a very confused boy standing in an empty dining room.

Then he went for Aaron, and told him all the same things. Well, this time he didn't actually know if Janice liked him back, but oh well, he thought, worth a try!

Now, he collapsed on his bed. And he realised something else. He hadn't decorated around his bed. He looked around at the others, Sam had some type of Quidditch team posters, Daniel had pictures as did Severus and Aaron had a big collage.

Sirius went and took a closer look at Aaron's. There were pictures of people, cuttings from magazines and newspapers stuck everyone, posters of actors and all sorts. Sirius decided this is what he wanted to do and ran to ask Eileen to take him to the shops.

There, he brought a load of magazines, a load of card, scissors and a glue stick. He spent the whole afternoon cuttings things out and sticking them messily onto the card, before using double-sided-sticky-tape to attach them around his bed. He also added pictures he had taken here, at halfway, of him and Sev together, him and Aaron or Sam or Lily and other new brothers and sisters, pictures of Regulus and him and even a few of the Marauders he scavenged from in his trunk.

Being modest, Sirius thought the end result was pretty damn good. He was just adding a few music notes to the collage when a voice behind him said, "Bloody hell Sirius!"

Sirius jumped and turned around, seeing Severus looking at his newly decorated wall. "Do you like it?" He asked happily, jumping down and walking over to his boyfriend. "It's got pictures of all the people close to me, cuttings, I was just putting some music notes on too and -"

"I can see it." Severus laughed, "It's great. I was wondering when you would finally decorate. Couldn't let you skip the tradition now could we? That would be horrible."

"For who exactly?"

"Hm, everyone I think." Severus laughed, "Did you get the ideas from Aarons?"

"Yes. But mine is better than Aarons!" Sirius nodded his head frantically.

Severus walked towards the collage for a closer look, then turned back to face Sirius, "By the way, do you have anything to do with the fact that Sam just asked Lily out and she literally knocked him over in her hugging him and squealing yes?"

Sirius grinned, "Maybe…" Severus crossed his arms and looked pointedly at him, "Ok fine! I just had a little talk with him this morning, well it was sort of a one sided conversation but I thought it was for the best." Sirius explained.

"You never cease to amaze me." Severus said, walking over to kiss Sirius lightly on the lips.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should."

They were about to kiss again but Sam burst open the doors and started yelling, "SHE SAID YES! SHE SAID YES! WHOOOOOO!"

"You'd think they just got engaged wouldn't you…" Severus muttered, but he was smiling all the same.

"They might be in a few years." Sirius commented, before he was dragged into a hug with Sam.

"THANK YOU!" The boy laughed, "Thank you Sirius!"

Sirius pulled away, fixing his hair, "That's ok." He laughed, "Just don't make me regret helping you, if you hurt her,"

"I'm the new Marauders target. Got it." Sam smiled, "Well, now there are two couples in this house, how will Eileen cope?" Suddenly a loud shout of "YES" echoed around the house. "Who do you think that was?"

Sirius smiled, "Janice. Aaron just asked her out. Now three couples in the same house… I don't Eileen will cope!"


	19. The Padfoot'ed and the Summer Ends

The rest of the summer went quickly and soon it was only mere days before they would be back on the train to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Severus and Sirius spent every day together, absorbing each other's company because they both knew they couldn't do that at school.

"Regulus agreed to not say he was living at Halfway to his friends, to keep us a secret." Sirius told Severus, only three days before they would leave Halfway.

"Why?" Severus asked,

"Well, if people knew Reg lived here then they will assume, quite correctly, that I do too. And therefore living with you. It all works in the grand scale if things, promise."

Severus laughed and said, "You really have worked this all out."

Sirius shrugged, "I can plan when I want to."

"Yes, pranks and ambushes."

They were in the top end of the garden, lying on the grass staring up at the sky. "Sev?"

"Yes?"

"I wanna show you something."

Severus looked over at him, "Ok."

"Promise not to freak?"

"Um… Sure. I promise not to freak."

"Or tell anyone?"

"I promise not to tell anyone." Severus' eyebrows creased in confusion, "What's this all about? Sirius?" The boy in mention had stood up.

And then he disappeared.

And a dog was left in his place.

Severus' mouth dropped. "WHAT THE BLOODY -"

The dog pounced on his chest, paws covered his mouth. Severus could swear on his life the dog was grinning down at him. It slowly got off his chest and sat by his side. Could dogs look nervous?

"You're an animagus." Severus said slowly, the dog nodded his great head and barked. "Ok… Can't say I expected that one. Do me a favour? Change back."

The great black dog barked and was quickly replaced by a sheepishly smiling Sirius. "Hey." He said. Severus stared at him in disbelief.

"You're an animagus."

"Correct."

"And illegal one?"

"Yes."

Severus shook his head, "Why did you become an animagus? And I take it the Marauders now since they call you -" He stopped abruptly, "They're animagus too."

Sirius hesitated before nodding, "Yes. They are. We all are."

"Well, I think Potter… Prongs… A stag? Ok and Wormtail… A mouse?"

"Rat." Sirius corrected.

"But Moony…" Severus eyes crossed in thought, then his eyes grew wide, "He's not an animagus. He's a werewolf."

Sirius startled, "No… No! He's a wolf. An animagus wolf. He's -"

Severus cut in, "A _werewolf_ every full moon and you're lying."

Sirius fell silent.

"I'm right aren't I?"

"Please don't tell anyone Remus' secret." Sirius whispered, crawling over to his boyfriend of nearly five weeks, "Please, if you do, more people might find out and he'll get kicked out of Hogwarts and -"

Severus leaned up and kissed him softly, "I've suspected for a while." Severus murmured against his lips, "And I would never tell anyone. Remus is your friend."

Sirius smiled into their kiss, before relaxing and lying on Severus' chest, "Thank you."

"I can't believe you're a dog." Severus said suddenly and loudly.

Sirius, very unmanly, giggled. "You don't mind do you?"

"Ner," Severus said, pulling Sirius closer, "I don't."

"Don't tell anyone? I would really prefer not to be sent to Azkaban."

Severus laughed, "Of course. I guess that go's for your friends too?"

"Yes Sev, it does."

"Damn it."

"Can't believe we're going back to school in a few days. Summer went so fast."

"I know right." Severus muttered, but looking at the boy in his arms, he decided he didn't really mind that summer was over. The seasons could change all they wanted, as long as nothing changed in that moment, he thought, he was happy.


	20. The Train Back and the Journalists

It was the day they would get the train back to Hogwarts. Everyone was in the car, extended inside, where Severus and Sirius where holding hands tightly, pressed against each other happily. But they weren't happy.

The reason they were holding each other's hand so tightly was because they couldn't at Hogwarts. They couldn't walk the halls holding hands like they had around the Halfway House, couldn't kiss in the Great Hall like they had in the dining room at the Halfway house, hold one another in their arms in their common rooms like they had in the sitting rooms at the Halfway House.

Sirius' head was resting against Severus' shoulder, his eyes closed. "We're here, at the train station." Eileen's voice made him open his eyes, face reality. Lily and Sam where holding hands, the site made Sirius' heart drop just a little.

Severus leant down and kissed him. "Come find us on the train, right at the end, biggest compartment."

Sirius nodded, hugged Severus one last time and whispered, "I'll find you all on the train, once I can get away. Promise." Then he and Regulus and Eileen all got out, walked about twenty metres, and everyone else got out. They did it so they wouldn't raise suspicion.

When they got to the brick wall which was the gate to Platform 9 ¾ , they were surprised to see Professor McGonagall there.

"Ah, Regulus and Sirius, finally." She said,

"Professor what is going on?" Eileen asked, "I told you that no one was to know of Sirius and Regulus' new guardianship. I asked you and Professor Dumbledore that both in confidence."

"I know Eileen, I know. But there is a slight problem." The teacher looked grave, "The Platform, I regret to say, is swarming with journalists. Wanting questions and pictures of both Sirius and Regulus. Their running away wasn't exactly private. They come from a most famous family; the whole world is waiting for what happened to them. Professor Dumbledore and the other teachers are on the Platform right now trying to get them to leave. The rest of you may go through." Everyone hugged and said goodbye to Ava and Avye, both girls were crying and everyone made promises to write, Eileen and then the boys, except Severus who kept him distance, sneering. _The lies beg__in, _Sirius thought, as everyone went through to the Platform, "As for you two, you will wait here with me until Professor Dumbledore comes through and tells us it is fine to go through."

So they waited. Many Hogwarts students through them curious glances as they stood with their stern teacher. It was two minutes to nine. "Professor, we'll be fine, let us through. We'll stick with you until we get on the train, promise. Professor otherwise we'll miss the train." Regulus said desperately, Professor McGonagall pursed her lips.

"Fine, stick tight, hold your things close." They went through.

It was literally like a jungle. A huge roar went up when they entered with their teacher by their side, and there were people screaming questions and flashes from camera's went off everywhere. Hogwarts students already on the train pressed their faces against the windows to get a closer look at what was happening,

"SIRIUS! REGULUS! WHY DID YOU RUN AWAY FROM HOME?"

"REGULUS WHAT WAS THE NAME OF YOUR KIDNAPPER?"

"BOYS, WHERE DO YOU LIVE NOW?"

"SIRIUS! SIRIUS WHY DID YOU RUN AWAY?"

"Boys get on that train!" Professor McGonagall said, quickly steering them on and slamming the doors shut. For a moment, all three stared out at cameramen and journalists, screaming at the train to wait and the Black brothers to come out and answer their questions. Then they looked at each other.

"Are you boys alright?" Professor Dumbledore was suddenly by their sides. The boys nodded, shocked and hurt and feeling slightly invaded. "Good, all the teachers are on the train. I need to tell the driver we are ready to go."

"What time is it?"

"Two minutes past Eleven Mr Black." Professor Dumbledore said gravely, "Two minutes later than it has ever left before." Then he left.

Sirius and Regulus looked up at their transfiguration teacher, "I'm sorry we made the train late."

"It's fine boys, go to your compartments." They nodded and left.

"Go find Halfway," Sirius whispered, as people poked their heads out of compartment doors to look at them, "I'll see you later." They had stopped outside the Marauders compartment; they could see James and Remus laughing in there. Regulus nodded and walked off, Sirius slid the doors open.

"Hey!" James dragged him into a hug, "Merlin, are you ok? You ran away? Why didn't you tell me! How did you get past all the reporters, there are loads of them!" Remus hugged him even tighter, hanging on a little longer. He was always the worrier.

"I'm fine. Yer I ran away, well, it was my business. And Minnie took us through the wall and the platform."

"I guess Regulus was with you." Peter said, a little snootily. Sirius glared at him.

"Of course." Sirius said, his eyes narrowing. Sensing the danger, Remus came between them both.

"So where do you live now?"

Sirius smiled, "Classified information." He told them, the Marauders laughed until they realised he was being completely serious. (No pun intended there.)

"Oh come on," James grinned, but that faltered, "You can't be serious! Don't." He added, when Sirius opened his mouth to say that very pun, "We're your best friends. Classified information doesn't include not telling us. We're us. Marauders, right?" He smiled at Sirius but the boy picked up his bag and slid back open the doors.

"I'm going to spend the rest of the train ride with Reg. He seemed really shook up about the whole reporters and cameramen thing. I need to see he's ok. I'll see you at the feast."

"You're going to go sit with a bunch of second years instead of us?!" Peter called, obviously outraged. Sirius only grinned in response, and then he left, the grin not leaving his face.

He kept his head down while walking down the narrow train corridor, he went to the bathroom, threw a hoodie on (just in case) and then walked to the end of the train to find the biggest compartment. He knocked and smiled at the voice that called, "Come in!"

There were twenty of them in there, Sirius made it twenty one. Severus grinned and immediately held out an arm and when Sirius sat down next to him, the same arm wrapped tightly around his shoulders, pulling him into the Slytherin's chest. "Hey guys, would have come sooner but needed to make my excuses to the Marauders."

"I love your hoodie. Are you ok?" Severus asked, clearly worried, "We could see all camera flashes even from this side of the train."

Sirius wrapped his arms around Severus' waist, his legs curled up on the seats. "I'm fine. Are you ok Regulus?" The boy in question nodded, he looked a bit white but was talking to Leather and Sorrel. Both poor girls looked terrified at the prospect of their sortings.

"Sorrel looks terrified, doesn't she?" Severus whispered to him, voicing his own thought, "So does Leather. Harry looks excited."

Understatement. He was practically bouncing up and down in his seat. Sirius hummed a little and edged closer, tightening his grip on Severus. "Anything from the trolley dears?"

Everyone stood up at once and Robin grinned, "You have a bit of a cue."

The lady just smiled and happily served each and every one of them. Severus and Sirius shared a chocolate frog, a pumpkin pasty and a box of Bertie Botts every flavoured beans. Sirius watched Severus as he ate another, "Soap!" Severus exclaimed, pulling a face as everyone laughed.

The train started to slow. "We're here."

Regulus and Sirius both put their hoodies up. Sirius gave Severus a lasting kiss before grabbing his bags and leaving with his brother. They let their hoods down when they got off the train.

The two of them ran to where the carriages where. There were more photographers. Sirius and Regulus looked at each other, scared. "OUT OF MY WAY." Professor McGonagall came storming through.

"Look there they are!" A rush of a photographers ran forward and Sirius immediately pulled Regulus into his chest, pulling his hoodie up, so the younger boy was completely obscured. Sirius kept a hand on the back of his little brother's head, keeping him close and secure. Someone behind him grabbed his hoodie and pulled it up for him, he yelled a thanks. He started to direct them, him and his brother, to the back of the crowd and the camera men tried to follow them.

But the Hogwarts students were having none of it.

They made a barrier. Bunching together tightly, they wouldn't let anyone get through them. A few of them, the older ones mostly and a few tough young ones, pulled out their wands. The journalists tried to push past, but they weren't going to do it.

"You will leave now." Minerva McGonagall said icily, "It is one thing to try and take photos in the holidays, but while these two boys are at school, they are surrounded by this family. Our family. Our Hogwarts family. Look at that, they are shielded from you, and will be forever. You will NOT try and harm them, hurt them or take advantage of their horrible situation."

"Hey lady we're just trying to do our job."

"What is that exactly? Try and invade the personal privacy of young boys? Yes, great job. Well, what about this. You're doing your job, so am I. GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, THESE BOYS ARE MINE TO PROTECT AND IF YOU DON'T GET MOVING I WILL PATRONUS THE MINISTER." Her face would of scared many a great wizard away, but even though some quivered and shook, the reporters stayed put.

"We'll go," One interviewer said, a camera held tightly in his hands, a smirk upon his face, "Once those boys give us an interview."

"NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN."

"NO WAY."

"NO CHANCE." Came the cries of the crowd, the student barrier.

"Come on," Another said, "We just wanna know a few things. Why did they run away? Were they kidnapped? We know they don't live at the Black family House now so where exactly are they?"

"And none of those things will be told to you." Professor McGonagall said, "So you are wasting your time." She conjured a patronus, "Tell Hagrid to slow the first years. We've had a bit of trouble with a couple idiot journalists at the carriages. And the whole school is determined to protect the Black brothers with a human barrier, so we're not going anywhere for a while."

At the back of the crowd, Regulus visibly shook in Sirius' arms.

"Look, if those boys, Regulus and Sirius just gave us a few minutes of their time, then –"

"Not going to happen." Someone cut in.

"Look Lady!" One journalist yelled, "You don't have the authority to BANISH us from these grounds."

"But I do."

Professor Dumbledore strode through the crowd. One journalist made a run for it through the gap, but one 7th year stuck out his leg and they fell on their face, they screamed as their camera crunched. The 7th year looked very pleased, probably because it was Daniel. Everyone stared in semi-awe and amazement at the Hufflepuff, who smirked at the reporter by his feet.

"Get. Out." Professor Dumbledore hissed, and the journalists muttered and then apparated. The crowd parted to show the two Black brothers. Sirius still held Regulus protectively, as the younger boy shook violently. "Are you two ok?"

"I'm fine," Sirius said, though his voice wavered, he pulled down his hood, everyone stared, "But Reg is a bit shaken up…" Regulus pressed himself further into his brother's chest. Sirius felt a wet patch spreading over his torso through his shirt and he knew Regulus was crying. "More than a bit."

"Not surprising." And the whole crowd seemed to agree. No one looked at Regulus like; 'You're a Slytherin what's wrong with you?' everyone was giving the pair sympathetic looks and looking at Regulus with worried faces. "Everyone start getting into the carriages. We need to at least try and beat the first years." Dumbledore said, herding everyone into carriages.

Sirius let go of Regulus a little and whispered, "They're gone, it's ok." But Regulus only tightened his grip, he was shaking extremely violently. "Ok, you need help walking." Keeping Regulus' hood up, Sirius slipped an arm around Regulus waist and another gripped on his arm, Regulus' arms went around his older brother's waist. "S'cuse me!" Sirius yelled, the crowd parted slightly for them to get through.

Sirius helped his brother up into the carriage, which already had two others in. Regulus's face was white and he shook like a leaf, as soon as Sirius was in, he practically crawled into his brother's lap. "You're ok…" Sirius whispered to him, rubbing his arms in comfort, "You're ok." The other two in the carriage who looked like 4th or 5th years, looked at them pitying.

All those pity looks really was going to annoy Sirius. Annoying… That gave him an idea. He leant down and whispered to his younger brother, "Michael's twitching moustache."

That made Regulus smile through his tears.


	21. The Sortings and the Warning

Sirius and Regulus were two of the last to fill into the Great hall, as Regulus was still a little shaky so Sirius kept an arm around him. Two 5th year Slytherin's walked up to them, the girl smiled, "Hi, I'm Andrea, I'm the Slytherin prefect." She looked at Regulus, "Regulus you could sit with me and Will here, if you want."

Regulus nodded and looked up at his brother, Sirius smiled down at him; they both knew everyone was looking at them. They hugged tightly, "Are we going to be ok?" Regulus asked quietly, and Andrea looked a bit teary, so did Sirius.

He brushed back his brother's hair a bit, bent to his small height and whispered, "Of course we are. Why'd you ask such a silly question?"

Regulus' laugh was soft, "Speak for yourself." Sirius laugh was louder and filled with joy.

"We will be fine, Reg. I'll protect you whatever happens." He gave Regulus' shoulder a squeeze, turned and walked over to Gryffindor.

"Do you promise?" Regulus called behind him, and a smile graced his face. Every eye of every person in the Great Hall was on them.

Sirius turned and nodded, "I promise you on my life."

Regulus smiled at him, he still looked white and shaky so Andrea put an arm around him as they walked to their seats at Slytherin. Sirius took a place opposite the Marauders and next to Lily. Lily smiled at him, and put her head on his shoulder. Sirius smiled and kissed her crown, having her so close was an odd sort of comfort. He didn't even care that James was looking at him, furious with envy.

Sirius couldn't care less. _We're both taken anyway. _

Just then, the first years walked in, and guess which little first year was leading them?

Harry looked excited as he walked to the front of the hall, not at all phased by the stares of all the years above him. Leather and Sorrel still looked scared. Lily whispered to Sirius, "Remember to listen out for Leah Snape."

Sirius spared a look at Severus, who was looking wildly at every first year, trying to see if he recognised someone. He tore his gaze back to the front, where McGonagall had started to call out names, Abis, Fiona, the first to be sorted became a Ravenclaw, and everyone clapped.

"Allen, Sorrel!" The professor called, and Sorrel walked up to the stool and sat. The hat drooped over her eyes; it took a while but then shouted, "SLYTHERIN."

Severus yelled high above the rest and gestured to Sorrel for her to come and sit by him. She did and he gave her a tight hug, whispering a congratulations and welcome to her new house. Many more names were called, before, "Nobel, Leather."

Leather could be seen to visibly gulp before walking up to the stool. Just like it did Sorrel, the hat drooped over her eyes, but it didn't take long to shout. "HUFFLEPUFF."

Sorrel grinned and ran over to Mia who welcomed her with a hug and a laugh, "Welcome to Hufflepuff House!" The fat fryer boomed.

You could visibly see Severus lose the light in his eyes when no Leah Snape was announced and it went onto, "Spiral, Harry." Sorrel leant against him, like Lily had Sirius, trying to comfort him as tears threatened to spill.

Harry bounded up to the stool, grinning widely; the hat barely touched his head when it screamed, "GRYFFINDOR." Lily leapt to her feet and cheered wildly. Harry's grin, if humanely possible, grew as he ran over to her and they hugged.

The sorting went relatively quickly after that, with only a few more to be sorted. Dumbledore stood and the owl on the podium stretched its wings. "Yes, yes welcome to all our new first years and welcome back to all our returning students! A few start of term announcements…"

Professor Dumbledore did the usually 'stay out of the forest' and then his expression turned very light and happy, "Now, I have two announcements to add to the usual's, I'll start with the happier one shall I?" He turned to the Slytherin table, "Now, Mr Snape…"

Severus grinned, "Yes?"

"I did promise you, that if twenty Halfway house members were at Hogwarts all at the same time, I would grant you your own dorm rooms." Severus smiled, "Now, there are now nineteen of you here aren't there?"

"Yes." Severus nodded, "Three just got sorted." He hugged Sorrel to his side.

"Of course, now, who will be the next ones to come to Hogwarts?"

Severus told him, "Avye and Ava are the only ones not at Hogwarts, but they are only eight years old at the moment."

Dumbledore seemed to ponder for a moment, "Well, considering a large number of you will have left Hogwarts before the two sisters get here, I suppose I can give you nineteen your own dorms."

"Seriously?!" Lily yelled, grinned, "Sev you bloody genius, you're not kidding right?"

"No Miss Evans," Professor Dumbledore laughed, "Severus here asked a few years ago when his mother started taking in a lot of children if it would be possible, we agreed that if there were ever twenty Halfway House students I would grant them their own dorms. I think at nineteen I will not deny you."

"That is so cool!" Lily laughed, "Sev I think my love for you just increased just a little bit more!"

"Whoa, hold up a sec!" Sam stood up from his place at Ravenclaw table, "Severus Tobias Snape don't you dare try and steal my lady from me!"

A few people laughed at that, including Severus who held up his hands in surrender, "Sorry Sam, my bad."

James' eyes got impossibly wide when Lily giggled and blew a kiss over at her boyfriend, which he caught. "He's only my best friend Sammy, you know that." She winked at him, "You know you're more."

All the girls said 'Aw!' and the boys looked at Sam in envy. Sirius had been right; Sam wasn't the only one at Hogwarts School who had noticed 'beautiful Lily' as she was so often called.

"Excellent, excellent, I will personally show the nineteen of you to your dorms once the feast is over. But I have one more notice before that same feast begins." His face became grave, "I doubt any of you did not notice the journalists, reporters and cameras that were both at the Platform and the gates of Hogwarts today." Many people looked towards the Black brothers, who were looking at each other. "I was very impressed of how you made a barrier to protect your own, but do not be mistaken, this will not be the end of their attempts."

"That's reassuring!" Sirius said loudly, earning a few laughs. Even Dumbledore suppressed a smile.

"The business of Sirius and Regulus Black is not any journalist's to know. If you are one of the few people that the two of them choose to tell about their… Well…"

"Situation?" Regulus inserted lightly, and at exactly the same time Sirius said, "Predicament?" They grinned at each other.

"Either of those," Dumbledore said, "If they do tell you, and do tell any newspaper, I will not hesitate to expel you."

Sirius called out, "I never knew you cared so much!" Earning even more laughter.

Professor Dumbledore smiled, "Let the feast begin."

Professor McGonagall cut in, "Regulus are you ok?"

Everyone looked to the Slytherin table, Regulus Black had his head in hands and the girl, Andrea, next to him had her hand on his shoulder. The boy attempted to nod but ended up whimpering in pain.

"Go sit with your brother." Professor McGonagall said, "Andrea help him walk."

With, once again, the halls eyes on him, Regulus was helped over to Gryffindor table by his house prefect. Sirius had already stood up and took the boy in his arms immediately, helping him sit on the Gryffindor bench. Regulus swung his legs over and rested his head on Sirius' chest, as his older brother wound an arm around his shoulders. "Thank you Siri." He muttered; Sirius held him slightly tighter.

"I told you I would protect you," Sirius whispered back, "No matter how soon after that promise is made." He teased, and Regulus smiled.

He leant up to whisper in his brothers ear, "You better tell this school about you and Severus soon, I really want to live in our own dorms!"

Sirius laughed and rolled his eyes.

_You make it sound like it will be so easy…_


	22. The Outburst and the Coward

The dorms were amazing. Severus and Lily had their own bedrooms, as head boy and girl of Halfway, and there were all the different colours of all the houses. Daniel had the idea to really make it into a home, and they put up pictures around the common room of them at home and Hogwarts, all of them. There was a roaring fire and Severus and the other Slytherin's commented, while it wasn't anything like their old common room and that was slightly strange to them, it was magnificent.

Sirius and Regulus had snuck in a few hours after the feast and looked around in wonder, Sirius groaned and said, "Damn, I might just tell the Marauders I'm dating Sev tonight so I can move into this place." They all laughed. They knew he wasn't being serious. He told them on the train ride to Hogwarts he was terrified of his friends reactions.

Severus had reminded him of the meaning of a true friend, "If they're true friends," he had whispered into his boyfriends ear, "They won't care if you're dating me, Lily or a bloody troll, they're your friends. A relationship and who you're in one with shouldn't change a thing."

"I think Lily would be pushing it for James." Sirius had laughed.

Back in the present, Sirius gave Severus a quick kiss and left. He walked back to the Gryffindor Common rooms, "Bandersnash." He spoke to the Fat Lady, who nodded and the portrait swung open. He spoke to a few people before walking up to his dorm room. The three other Marauders looked up and grinned when he entered.

"Hey Padfoot," James grinned, "I was just saying how we need to incorporate those new dorms for the orphan kiddies," James made a fake sympathetic face, "Poor things like Snivels who have no parents." He broke out laughing, Remus stared at him with a slightly horrified expression.

Sirius was going red from anger, "For you information _James_," He hissed, "_Lily_ lives at the Halfway House."

James face took on one of surprise. "As in Evans?"

"Yes, that's right. So there you are; you just insulted the 'so called' love of your life. Who is very happy with her new boyfriend, by the way."

Now James looked angry, "And why would you know so much about Lily? I saw how cosy you were getting during the feast."

"We met up a few times in the holidays." Sirius replied, lying through his teeth.

"So you had time to meet up with her but not us?!" Peter said heatedly.

Sirius turned on him fast, "Yes, actually. One reason being, _SHE DOESN'T INSULT MY BROTHER CONSTANTLY."_

"Your brother is a Slytherin." Peter said icily.

"MY BROTHER IS MY BROTHER." Sirius shouted, "AND I'LL BE DAMNED IF I LET YOU STAND THERE AND INSULT THE ONLY FAMILY I CARE ABOUT. I DON'T CARE IF REGULUS IS A BLOODY WELL SLYTHERIN OR ANY OTHER HOUSE FOR THAT MATTER, HE IS MY LITTLE BROTHER AND YOU WILL SHUT UP ABOUT HIM."

The three others stared at him after his outburst, Sirius whirled back on James, "And just to add, something Lily told me," More lies, "Snape isn't an orphan. His mother owns the Halfway House. His mother looks after 20 odd people out of the goodness of her heart."

"Sirius…"

And he turned to Peter, his eye alight, "And she was a Slytherin too."

Then he collapsed on his bed. His eyes filled with unshed as he grabbed his wand and magic'ed the curtains closed. He heard a few footsteps and in front of him, James drew back a little bit of curtain, then he sat on the edge of Sirius' bed and closed it again.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, "I didn't know about Lily."

"Didn't stop you insulting did it though."

"I guess you two have become really close."

Sirius gave a slightly harsh laugh, "You have no idea."

"Does…" James looked a little uncomfortably, "Does she know why you ran away?"

Sirius hesitated, "She knows… Bits and pieces. Not the full story."

"You still don't want to tell me?"

Sirius gave a small laugh, "No. I don't."

"And I'm sorry about how we talk about your brother. It's just… He's a Slytherin and well, a bit odd, actually."

"James," Sirius said softly, "If you had a slightly odd sister or brother in Slytherin, who you loved so much and were so close to, how would you feel if I insulted them constantly? Just for being in Slytherin."

"I'd probably smack you one." James admitted.

"So how do you think I feel?"

"Like you want to hit me in the face?"

"More Peter if I'm honest, but yer, you too."

James smiled at that, "Well, I am sorry for everything I've said in the past."

"Thanks."

"So… Lils talked about Snape to you?"

This was it. The moment he had been waiting for.

"Actually –"

"Because I'm surprised you didn't fall asleep!" James laughed, and Sirius' face fell. "Sorry, what were you going to say?"

Sirius put a fake smile on his face, "Nothing. I'm just, uh, really tired."

James nodded and stood, "Ok, I'll leave you to go to bed. You know the spell that will block out the noise, right?"

Sirius nodded and James left, closing the curtains of his bed again. Sirius sighed and lay down, a hand over his eyes. He didn't use the spell, instead he listened to his friends talk.

"How could you say sorry for saying those things about the Slytherin?" He heard Peter hiss, "They were all true!"

James repeated what Sirius had said, what if he had a little brother or sister in Slytherin? Peter fell silent. "Anyway, he's acting weird. Where did he go earlier?"

"I don't know, but he took the map with him."

"Not the cloak?"

"Not the cloak."

There was silence for a moment, and Sirius tried to even his breathing to make them think he was asleep. "We have to find out what happened this summer. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Remus said; his voice full of worry.

"Agreed." Peter said; his voice filled with anything but worry. More like… a thirst to find out Sirius' darkest secret.

Sirius heard them all scuffle off to bed and he actually closed his eyes. He nearly told James. He had actually nearly told him. But he didn't.

_Coward._ A little voice whispered,_ Coward._


	23. The Picture and the Romantic

Severus and Sirius sat entwined on the pure black sofa in the Halfway House Dorms. It was several weeks into the term now, and not a lot had happened. Yet. Lily had been caused extreme embarrassment on the morning they got their timetables.

"And I must congratulate," Dumbledore had stood up, clapping his hands, "Miss Lily Evans," Lily went red, "For getting all Outstandings in her OWL exams!"

The whole hall had burst into applause, with Sirius and Severus and the rest of Halfway all cheering the loudest. Lily had buried her head into her arms.

"You know," Sirius said, looking around the common room, "I am actually quite hurt that my picture in nowhere in here."

Severus looked up, previously he had been softly kissing Sirius' neck and distracting him from homework by doing so, "Well, what if one of my friends came in here, they would see your picture and wonder why the hell it was in here."

"True." Sirius said, shrugging one shoulder. He settled back into Severus' embrace. "As long as you have my picture that's fine." He teased. Severus smiled against his neck, he leant slightly away from Sirius and took a picture out of his robe pocket. He then wrapped his arms back around the shorter boy and showed it to him.

It was of the two of them in the summer. They were sitting on the sofa, exactly how they were sitting right now, with Sirius curled in Severus' protective arms. They were both smiling at the camera. It wasn't moving but Sirius remembered the memory well enough. It had been Lily who had taken the picture and just after, he had leant up and kissed Severus' cheek. "You keep this on you?"

"Always." Severus muttered, kissing his cheek, he leant back a bit more on the sofa arm.

Sirius couldn't help but grin. Then it faltered. "I don't like how I never see you."

"We're in classes together. Aren't you taking all the same Newts as me? Defence, potions, charms, Transfiguration, Herbology and Ancient Runes."

"Yes, except Ancient Runes for me is Muggle studies."

"Just to annoy your parents?"

"It was a bonus if they were ever to find out," Sirius grinned, "I actually like creatures. And I only got acceptable in Ancient Runes for my OWL."

"I could have tutored you." Severus murmured. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Yes, because that wouldn't have been distracting at all. And I didn't mean never _see_ you; I meant I never spend time with you anymore. I just need to stop being a damn coward and tell my friends about us."

Severus frowned, "You're not a coward. Don't call yourself that."

Sirius grumbled to himself, he sighed, "Either way, I just need to pluck up some damn Gryffindor courage and fast. Otherwise they're will never be pictures of me on these walls."

"Well I'm not quite sure what I think to that."

Sirius hit his arm lightly, "You hate the idea."

"You're right. I hate that idea." Severus repeated cheekily, and Sirius laughed softly.

Lily came running down the stairs, "Where are you going?" Severus called to her,

"Just going for a walk. I'm meeting Sam down by the lake." She told them, grinning ear to ear at the prospect of seeing her boyfriend.

Severus nodded and Lily ran out of the common room, the portrait slamming shut behind her. They could hear the knight, who was painted in the picture, grumbling and it made the two boys laugh. "And I want to do that."

"What? Slam portrait doors?"

"Be able to go out with you in public with being looked at like I'm off my rocker." Sirius said softly, "Sit at Slytherin with you just because I want to eat with you, sit by you in lessons, live here, be able to go round the lake holding hands, just because we can."

There was a moment of silence.

"So you are a true romantic." Severus said suddenly, Sirius laughed.

"Maybe I am."

He moved to sit between Severus legs and curled up on his chest. He tucked his arms into his own chest and rested his head just underneath the Slytherin's, pressing close. Severus smiled and wrapped his arms around the boy, holding him close.

_You know what Siri_, he thought, _I really think you are._


	24. The Battle and the Horror

_Sorry it's so late! I had major internet problems for a week or two and haven't been able to get onto to fan fiction, but here is chapter 24!_

They were now four weeks into the school year and there had been no progress with Sirius telling anyone of his and Severus' dating. The Marauders were still in the dark completely, not knowing that behind closed doors the two boys often lay with entwined limbs and hands.

But it was starting to annoy a few people.

Eileen was constantly sending letters to Lily, Severus and Sirius for updates on what was happening. Lily had been heard angrily shouting at Sirius for being ashamed of Severus, which Sirius just as angrily denied. Severus, well, he was starting to get annoyed.

Sirius had said a lot of things but had done nothing. Severus had told him the meaning of true friends a million times, said he would stick by him no matter what, help him stay strong, anything. Sirius still didn't tell the Marauders.

He now avoided any conversation about the Marauders when around the Halfway House people, especially Lily and Severus. He started spending less time with them and more with the Marauders. He didn't visit their dorms as much.

Severus currently sat in the warm common room thinking all of this. His eyes were going crossed and his head was starting to hurt. He groaned and shook his head, trying to clear his mind of these stupid thoughts.

He stood and walked out of the common room. He passed many students on his way out of the castle, only a few of which he said hello to, and to the lake. He sat under the branches of a huge oak tree, his back to the trunk.

He heard a familiar laugh.

He turned his head only slightly, looking back to the castle.

The Marauders were walking down the steps, heading to where Hagrid lived. They all had wide smiles and at even though Severus only turned slightly, out of the corner of his eye, Sirius saw the movement and saw him. When he looked away, his smile turned secretive.

Severus turned away with a smile of his own on his face.

He heard someone sit by him and didn't have to turn to know. The red hair the wind was dragging into his face was enough.

"Hey," Lily said, "So I need to talk to you."

"This is going to be about the Marauders and Sirius not telling them about me and him, isn't it?"

"Yes!" Lily burst out, "Doesn't it annoy you?!"

Severus sighed, "It's starting to." He admitted, "I mean… It's just…"

"Yer," Lily said, "I know." They sat in silence for a few moments. Lily started to speak again, "I like Sirius. You know I do. And I like that he makes you happy," Severus looked around to make sure no one was listening, "But he acts like he's ashamed of you."

"Thanks for being blunt." Severus said, smiling.

Lily shrugged, "I was never going to skirt on the corners. I'll say what I think and say it loud." She sighed, "And also, it's only starting to annoy you?"

Severus looked at his hands, wringing them nervously as he admitted, "Ok, I'll say it. I hate that he won't tell his friends about me and him. I really, really hate it."

Lily nodded, "I know how you- oh no."

Severus looked at his friend confused as her eyes widened and she started to swear furiously under her breath, "What's up Lils?"

"Well, well, well. Look who we found!"

Severus turned to see the four Marauders standing in front of him and Lily, smirking. Well, James and Peter were smirking, Remus was rolling his eyes and face palming, and at the back of the other three, Sirius was wildly looking around for an escape. James drew his wand.

"Leave us alone Potter." Lily said, her tone furious.

"Ah, I would love to Lils. But I think I would prefer to curse this greasy Slytherin a little bit first." He grinned, "What'd you think Sirius?"

Everyone turned to the black haired boy, who looked completely put on the spot. He forced a smile at James and drew his wand, "Um, well, I think…"

"Exactly!" James said brightly, cutting his friend off, "So we're in agreement."

Severus and Lily drew their own wands from their pockets, standing with frowns on their faces. _What will Sirius do?_ Both Lily and Severus thought, as they looked to the panicked boy.

Remus stood off to the side, silently refusing to take part. It was James, Peter and a reluctant Sirius against Lily and Severus.

Lily was the first to fire, and she took Peter out in one spell. Then she started battling Sirius, not at all half-heartedly. Severus and James were also soon locked in combat, spells flying back and forth.

It was one of those days were they didn't fight for the show and the spectators, as the Marauders had so often done. They fought because of the hate and rivalry.

Severus knocked James' wand out of his hand and breathed heavily, the Gryffindor stared at him in surprise. Severus winning won of their fights did not happen often. He blinked for a few moments and then sneered, diving after his wand. But Severus cast it high into the air.

He was distracted by a small gasp, Sirius had knocked Lily's wand from her hands.

Severus and Sirius were the only ones with wands.

Lily looked on in outrage and despair melted into one, Sirius was in slight shock, Severus dropped James' wand as he realised the situation and James grabbed it as it fell. He waved it quickly and Severus shot three metres back, landing roughly on arm and hip.

He looked up to see Sirius pointing his wand at him, shaking only slightly. James seemed to be egging him on, encouraging him, and hissing words in his ear. He seemed slightly surprised that he had to do this; his friend had never passed up on an opportunity to curse one Severus Snape.

It all happened very fast. A wave of the wand, Sirius' wand, decided all their fates.

A large pain ripped through Severus' head, across his forehead and he bit his tongue to keep from yelling out. He could hear James and Peter's laughter as blood trickled into his eyesight, dropping from his forehead and the newly made cut.

"Our work here is done!" James exclaimed gleefully, spreading his arms wide, "You lose some, and you lose the rest Snivels."

He and Peter walked off laughing, Remus after them shaking his head. Sirius stared in horror at the blood on Severus' face and made to move forwards. Lily got there first and helped her best friend up, and then they walked away. "SIRIUS COME ON!"

"Coming!" Sirius managed to choke out, staring in absolute shock and disgust. Disgust for himself. He stared at the grass, where red stained green.

_What have I done…_


	25. The Break up and the Tears

As soon as the Marauders were back in their Gryffindor dorms, Sirius made his excuses and grabbed the map. The other protested at this. "You're not going to get caught! It's the middle of the bloody day!" James laughed, but Sirius shrugged and replied,

"There are people I would rather avoid."

"Like Snape?" James chortled, "That was one hell of a blow you dealt him! Did you see the blood? Great shot!" Then he turned back to some potions or runes homework he was doing and Sirius bolted from the room.

He ran all the way to the Halfway house dorms and, checking no one was around, and knocked. Lily was the one who answered.

She slammed the door in his face.

He stood for a moment, gobsmacked. Then he realised he should have expected this. Someone walked past and he pointed to the door, grinning an over exaggerated grin, "Seeing Lily." The passing boy looked frightened and confused as he scurried past.

Sirius turned and knocked on the door again, this time it was Sam and Janine both standing there. "Sev is in his room," Janine hissed, "And you will not be seeing him. Lily has only just patched up his forehead."

And the door was slammed again.

Sirius groaned and punched the brick wall next to the portrait in frustration. He could hear someone shouting in the dorms, and the knight on the portrait grumbled. The door suddenly opened.

Robin was the first out. She glared at Sirius and then marched off with Alicia. Lily, Sam, Aaron, Sorrel, Harry, Mia and everybody else trickled out of the common rooms, all giving him dirty looks, shaking their heads. He hadn't seen Severus.

He hesitated as they all walked off, before walking into the dorms himself.

Severus sat on the couch, his eyes closed and his head resting against the sofa. "Hi." He said stiffly, when he heard Sirius come in.

"Hey…" Sirius took a deep breath, "I am so sorry. I am so sorry! My friends were there and I didn't know what to do and James was whispering this spell in my ear and to be honest I didn't even know what it did and suddenly you were then with blood on your face and-"

"Stop Sirius." These two words were enough to shut him up completely. He stared into his boyfriend's face, the face which now had a slowly fading gash on its forehead. That made Sirius frown and take a shaky breath. "Just… Be quiet."

"Sev?"

"Don't call me that please." Came Severus' harsh reply. Sirius sucked in a breath.

"Severus?"

The same Slytherin looked up at him with pained eyes. "I thought…" He gave a hard laugh, "Actually I don't know what I thought. I really don't."

"About what? Thought about what?" Sirius whispered; he didn't move from his spot near to the common room exit. Severus stood up though. He crossed his arms protectively around his chest.

He too took a shaky breath, "I thought that maybe, by now, you would have told your friends."

"I'm trying it's just-"

"No," Severus interrupted him, rubbing a hand over his eyes in mild frustration and stress, "That's the thing, Sirius. You're not. You haven't made an attempt to tell them at all. Have you?"

"Yes!" Sirius tried to defend himself, this was a battle he had a feeling he would not want to lose, "Just the other day, I tried to but I was cut off. There are always cutting me off, just as I am about to tell them… I… I want to tell them Sev, I do, you know I do!"

There was a moment's pause.

"Do I?"

Sirius stared at him, stunned at his words. "What do you mean?"

Severus groaned in frustration, running his hands through his hair, "How do I know that you actually want this? I don't! Why? Because you have made no serious, don't try the pun, attempts to tell your friends about the two of us! And I'm sorry, actually, no I'm not, I have tried and tried to just not care about it, but I do. I really hate that you won't tell them and to be honest, I don't think I can do this anymore."

Sirius felt the colour in his cheeks drain away. Now he knew why everyone had left the dorms. Severus had asked them to because he was going to say those words that would bring everything crashing down….

"Sirius we can't be together anymore."

Tears pricked at his eyes, threatening to spill. "Severus, please, don't do this. I'll tell them. I'll tell them tonight. I'll do anything. I'm sorry about the fight earlier, I should of stepped in I know that and I'm sorry." He stepped forward, reaching for the Slytherin, but Severus took a step back. They both took a shaky breath. "Please, Severus."

Severus shook his head, "No, Sirius. I'm sorry but we can't be together. I… I'm breaking up with you…" They both stood for a moment in silence, those words swirling in both their heads, "I think you should leave now."

Sirius' mouth opened and closed, a few tears rolled down his pale cheeks before he shook his head and turned away. He was shaking as he reached for the door. He looked back to Severus, who had now sat back on the sofa, head in hands.

Sirius left.

Lily was waiting outside of the dorms and realised what had happened when she saw his tears, she shot into the dorms and sat by her friend, put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him into a hug, "You did the right thing." She whispered quietly.

Severus looked up, and just like Sirius, had tears glistening in his eyes and tear tracks on his cheeks. "You think?"

"Yes, I do." Lily said, "He cursed you Sev, and I'm sorry I have to be blunt again I don't want to be, but that is not something a boyfriend should have done. He should have stepped up and stood up in front of his friends."

Severus nodded mutely. "I… Uh, I need some time alone, ok? Can you ask the guys to not come up to the dorm?" Lily nodded in response and watched his go, using the sleeve of his cloak to dry his tears.

Across the castle in the Gryffindor common room, Sirius ran in and up the stairs. And everyone stared after him, confused.

"Hey Sirius! You're back, where did-"

James had no time to finish his question. Sirius jumped onto his bed, slammed the curtains shut and put several spells up. He looked up at the ceiling and his breath became more ragged and full of fear when it really had sunk in, what had just happened.

And then he cried.


	26. The Advice and the Plan

Sirius sat by the lake, only metres from where his disastrous fight against his ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend had happened. He was leaning against the trunk of a tree, contemplating where he would be now if he had told his friends about… well, everything. He would certainly have more friends. No one from the Halfway House had spoken to him in three days.

He had tried to talk to them, of course. He had nearly, very nearly, cornered (not literally) Robin, but then the Marauders were calling him and he had to go, scowling at her smug grin and equally small laugh as she ran off.

"Hey." He jumped, both out of his deep thinking and physically, in shock. Regulus was sat beside him, a small smile on his face. "Knut for your thoughts?"

Sirius stayed silent, flicking his foot to get a fly off of it, "I'm just thinking." He murmured, Regulus nodded.

"Yep, a lot had happened in the past week, hasn't it?" It was a questions neither had to answer, or was willing to.

"Why are you talking to me?"

Sirius' question obviously surprised and confused Regulus. His eyes widened before his nose scrunched together a bit. "You're my big brother. We went through a lot this summer and I would like to think it brought us closer. One bad fight between you and two of my friends will not change that. It won't make me hate you. And it won't stop me talking to your either."

A smile that reached his eyes graced Sirius' face for the first time in three days. He reached out an arm and pulled Regulus into his side. "Thanks Reg."

"No problem Siri," Regulus looked around a little bit, before whispering, "Are you going to try and win him back?" He looked a little sheepish, "You know… Out of curiosity."

Sirius rolled his eyes. He knew his brother hadn't used Severus name for a reason, being anyone could be hiding anywhere. Lurking around and looking for their story.

"I want to. I just don't know how to go about it. No idea, actually."

Regulus looked up at him, stunned, then he laughed, "You are kidding right? That's the most simple part! It's how you tell him what you are going to do or have done that's tricky."

"Well then, oh wise one, what is it that I should do?"

Regulus rolled his eyes, "You have to tell you friends about him and you."

_I really would have preferred a different answer._

"Is it worth it?" Sirius frowned, before finishing his thought aloud, "I mean, they'll probably hate me and then he might not take me back. Then what?"

Regulus stood and brushed mud off his trousers, he shrugged, "You have to decide whether he is worth the risk Sirius. That's something I cannot answer for you." He smiled reassuring at his older brother, gave him a little wave, and walked off hands in pockets back to the castle.

Sirius groaned softly. _Could I do it? How would I do it? How would they respond? Don't be an idiot Sirius, they'll hate you. _

_Might not._ The little voice in the back of his head retorted, _Remus especially. _

_What if they see it as betrayal? I wouldn't blame them if they did. It's pretty bad considering mine and Severus' history. _

_What if they do? Then they're not true friends. _

The very words Severus liked to tell him so often. He stood; he knew who he had to talk to. He searched the castle for her over and over; retracing steps he had seen her walk earlier that day, before he finally found her. Even better, she was with all the others. All of them.

"Lily, Robin, Mia, Kirsty, Alicia, Sophia, Ella, Leather, Sorrel, Janine." He said, smiling shyly at his previous matchmakers. They all glared at him and got up, ready to leave. He managed to catch Lily's wrist, "Please hear me out."

They all turned and looked at him expectantly. Being stared at, Sirius realised, by ten overly protective girls was not a great or fun experience.

"What do you want?" Alicia, a 5th year Gryffindor, asked icily.

Sirius took a deep breath, "I need your help."

They all started laughed, "We are not helping _you_." Ella hissed at him, "Not after the way you hurt him." They weren't saying Severus' name either.

"Please," He tried to look a serious (no pun intended) as possible, "I'm going to tell the Marauders about this summer."

They all rolled their eyes, "Yes, of course you are, now if you will excuse us-" Lily started but Sirius shook his head, effectively stopping her.

"I want him back," He insisted, eyes looking straight into hers, "I know I have to tell them. I know. I just…"

"What?" Robin asked suspiciously. Sirius knew she was very protective of Severus, having been at Halfway nearly as long as Lily had, and being in the same house as him.

"I need your help on how I'm going to tell them." He admitted, and the girls eyebrows rose, "I am serious about telling them. I really am. I'll tell the whole bloody school if it means I'll get him back."

Slowly, they smiled.

"Now that," Robin grinned, "Sounds like plan."

Lily still eyed him with a little bit of suspicion, "If we help you, you have to promise you will use our advice." As Sirius' quizzical look, she continued, "If we're to help you, you have to promise on your life and soul to tell your friends. You can't back out of this once we start to help you. You see we only help friends." She smiled and shrugged, "So we would have to forgive you first, and I will smash you into a million pieces if you do something that will make you stop being a friend a second time round."

Sirius was only a little bit terrified of this threat, so he nodded. "I am one hundred per cent sure I am going to tell them. So I will agree to that."

Lily's smile became a grin, and she hugged him close. "Good, then let's get to work."

"Mind if I join in?" Regulus stood near them, he shrugged, "I figured this would be the ending of my advice to Sirius. Considering you two just hugged, I thought it was safe to come over. It is, isn't it?"

They all laughed and beckoned him over.

Lily looked over at Sirius, "I haven't completely forgiven you for cursing me you know." She said, and Sirius laughed nervously, knowing that could only mean bad things were to come, lucky he was saved by Robin.

"So, you're going to want to tell them somewhere private…"


	27. The Truth is Out

_Please review!_

Sirius was pacing the Gryffindor common room. His heart was pounding against his ribcage. His hands were sweaty. His face was going a little red. "Sirius sit on the bloody couch or you're going to work yourself up." Lily said, reading a book in front of the fire. She still liked to visit her old common room.

"Too late for that one Lily." Sirius muttered, but did as she said. No sooner had he sat did he leap back up again.

The Marauders walked into the Gryffindor common room, laughed and grinning at Sirius when they spotted him, that made his heart lift just a little bit. They started to make their way up the stairs and Sirius' heart was going at an amazing speed. "Go," Lily whispered, giving him a tight hug with a tear in her left eye, "Good luck. I'm not moving. I'll be here."

He nodded, took a deep breath and went up the stairs to meet his friends. "Hey Sirius, where have you been the past couple days?" James grinned, "And I see your friends with Lily again."

"Yer, guys, I need to tell you something."

That all looked up, Peter's look was especially greedy, "Are you going to tell us what happened this summer?" His eyes narrowed a little, he looked more like a rat than ever.

"Sort of, uh…" He sat on the end of his bed, "When I ran away with Regulus, we went to the Halfway House."

The three other's eyes became very wide. James' brown eyes were disbelieving. "That place Lily lives, just got their own dorms and Snape's mum owns?"

"Yer, well, I didn't know his mum owned it when I first went there. It was something Dumbledore forgot to mention when he suggested the place to me, oh, he guessed that I didn't want to live at home anymore." He answered the un-asked question.

"Right, where is this going Sirius?" Remus asked slowly. Sirius gulped, _Gryffindor courage. You have to do this. _

"So, me and Regulus moved into this place. And Snape showed us around and then to where the boys, including me and him, sleep. I… Well, we started talking and we kind of agreed to restart."

The three boys eyes were bulging but Sirius rushed on.

"And then the next day he was showing me around the house and he showed me this tree house and oh god you are going to hate me but we nearly kissed and then I confronted him about it and then we actually kissed and please don't hate me but we started dating and we broke up last week because of that fight." He stopped abruptly, realising he had just blurted it all out.

Deadly silence.

Remus, Peter and James were in shock. Their mouths were open, their eyes wide and they were staring at him with a expression he couldn't quite name.

"I didn't expect that." Remus managed to mutter, and Sirius shrugged.

He was relieved. So, so relieved. He felt free. A huge weight taken off of his chest.

Then James' eyes narrowed, "So help me tell me this is a joke or get out."

Now it was Sirius' turn to be shocked. For that moment, that one little moment, when Remus had muttered those four words and it almost seemed friendly, he had thought… He looked at Peter, who was starting to glare at him. Remus just looked like he was still in shock, a hand over his eyes. James looked deadly.

"I'm not joking." Sirius replied quietly, most of his courage had now disappeared, "I dated Severus Snape since the start of the summer until only last week. He broke up with me after I cursed him."

"He must have given you a potion." James hissed, "You are cursed!" He stopped, "You never even told us you were gay!"

"Bi." Sirius corrected, his voice still quiet, "And I am not cursed. I haven't drunk any potion. I… I fell in love with Severus Snape, alright?"

"NO IT IS NOT ALRIGHT!" James thundered, and Sirius wondered if Lily could hear him scream. "IT IS NOT _ALRIGHT_!"

"James don't hate me," Sirius whispered, "Please, you are my best friend. But Severus is… different. I need him."

All three heads shot up, "You're trying to get him back?" Remus asked, and Sirius nodded. Peter and James' looks became stony and cold. Remus looked distant.

"If you go after him," James told Sirius, "Then you can't be friends with us."

Sirius' mouth went dry, and his eye watered, "I…" He failed in his response, "Don't make me choose, please don't make me choose." He whispered. He hadn't expected this. He hadn't prepared himself for this.

"I am making you choose." James hissed, "It's a greasy dirty Slytherin enemy, or us, who have stuck by you for years on end. Choose Sirius, because Merlin help me you cannot have both. You will forget him, and be a Marauder. Or you forget us, and never talk to us again."

A tear spilled from his eye as Sirius rose to his feet, and walked to the door.

"You are a traitor. You're disgusting!" James told him, his tone accusing and cold.

Sirius' tears spilled as he walked out of the door, down the stairs, and down to Lily in the common room. She looked up at the sound of his feet, a hopeful smile on her face. It disappeared when she saw his tears, her own face became pale.

Sirius walked over and collapsed in her arms. She had to cast a spell so no one would hear them because he started to cry so loud. Tears splashed down his face as he realised he had lost his first true friends. As he realised what they thought of him now. As he realised, he wasn't a Marauder, but one of their enemies they taunted in the courtyards. As he realised the pain.

It was as if his heart had been ripped in two.


	28. The Giving Up Argument and the Please

The room of requirement looked just as Sirius had imagined as he stepped in. It looked exactly the same as the common room for the Halfway House kids, with one crucial difference. Sirius' picture was on the walls.

There was one of him and Severus, the one Lily had taken in the summer of them sitting together on the couch, one of him and Lily and Mia, his arms around them both, of one of him and Regulus, they were both laughing, smiles up to their ears.

It made Sirius' sad to see.

Right now, he was waiting for Lily and Robin, who he had grown close to. The two girls were off trying to find Severus to see if he would speak with Sirius, to tell him that the Gryffindor had something important to tell him. He made them promise, that under no circumstances, would they tell him what he had done. It wanted to do that himself.

He sat on the comfy black couch, fidgeting as he always did when nervous. Just like he had _yesterday, when he had told the marauders about the past summer. His eyes quickly filled_ with tears even at the thought of what had happened.

He had been quite royally kicked out.

He had spent the night in the room of requirement, not daring to sneak into the Halfway dorms and sleep on the sofa in there, as Lily had offered. He had shaken his head, "That's not how I want Severus to find out what has happened." He had told her.

He was jolted from his thoughts when the door opened, and Robin and Lily walked in.

"Hey," Sirius started, "Did he…" He stopped short when he saw Severus wasn't with them, and he deflated slightly.

"I'm sorry Sirius," Robin said softly, sitting by him and leaning her head on his shoulder, "We tried, we really did I promise. But Severus is… stubborn."

Sirius nodded mutely. Robin wrapped an arm around him, Lily sat on his other side and took one of his hands. "I'm sorry Sirius. We'll make him come around, promise."

"I need him," Sirius said softly, and both girls looked up at the sheer terror in his voice, "I have never needed anyone before. I did everything by myself. But I… I…" He choked on his words, full of emotion, his tears spilling, "I don't know why. But I _need _him, for the first time, I _need_ someone. It scares me."

He leaned back against the sofa, and it was then the girls noticed the pictures on the walls, "There's me and you and Mia." Lily said, smiling, "I remember that. Eileen took it."

Sirius nodded, the crack in his armour slowly covering up. He never showed what he truly felt. To no one. Severus was the first to ever know… About those feelings. Hurt and anger and the spear tearing through your heart, creating a never healing hole.

"I remember." He said. He also noticed how both girls avoided the picture of him and Severus.

"So what's the new plan?" Robin asked quietly, and Sirius shook his head.

"There isn't one."

Both girls looked at him, their eyes wide, "Sirius you can't give up." Lily told him. She was trying to be so confident, but those three words Sirius had uttered created a crack in her own armour, and her tone wavered.

Sirius shook his head, "He will not talk to me. I don't think that's a sign that he would be willing to take me back."

"Sirius-"

"I hurt him too deep this time." Sirius snapped, "I get it. I understand that. I'll… I'll just have to get over him, okay? I'll have to learn not to need him. I'll do it, given time."

Lily and Robin both gave him shocked looks, "No."

Lily and Sirius both looked at Robin. The usually shy Slytherin. "No what?" Sirius said, his voice sounded drained and tired.

"No," Robin repeated, "I will not sit by as you throw away this chance to get Severus back. Look at that picture, do you want that back? That carefree happy time when you could be held in your boyfriend's arms? We all know you do. But you have to damn well work for it, and when the going gets tough, you do NOT just back down. I will not let you. No way Sirius Black, you are not going to hurt Severus again, and you are going to fight for him and you are going to get him back and I will sit there happy when you do. Got it?" Sirius nodded, "Good, then what's the plan? We better start working straight away, because I don't think either me or Lily are comfortable with you staying in here much longer."

The other two stared at her, "Ideas!" Robin snapped.

_I'll tell the whole school._

_That's not a bad idea._

Sirius smiled, Merlin damn him he was crazy. "I think I've got this one, thanks." He whispered, and when they raised their eyebrows at him and opened their mouths to protest, "Really, I know what I am going to do. Just leave me to plan it, ok? I have this covered."

They looked at him sceptically, but sighed. "If you're sure." They murmured. They each gave him a tight hug, "Don't give up." They told him before they left.

Sirius ran a hand through his hair. He grimaced. This way going to be painful. So very, very painful. But if this is what he had to do…

He nodded to himself. "For Severus," He muttered a mantra in his mind, "For Severus, for Severus."

He got to work. The time and place was easy, the words were difficult. But he struggled through, he knew what he had to say, it was just _how he was going to say it._ He memorised it, remarkably and usefully, Sirius Black had a very good memory.

Sure, he usually used to memorize ambushes and pranks, but what's the difference?

_Uh, I seem to remember your last ambush didn't go so well. _The annoying voice in his head was back.

_True that._ He told himself, and he lay back on the couch, staring at the ceiling with a calm expression, but a terrified mind and heart. _What if he hates me still? What if he doesn't want me back? What if, what if, what if._

The terrible thing about a plan, was you never knew had it so going to end. At least with his and the Marauders pranks, it could be success, fail or detention. He smiled; he would have picked detention over fail any day. But with this? It could end with anything.

Being forgiven? He could only hope.

Detention? Surely not! Minnie wouldn't be that harsh… Would she? Dumbledore had a thing about love, right?

A fight? Possible. Between Halfway and the Marauders, between Slytherin and Gryffindor? Slytherin and Gryffindor was the more likely of the two, the Marauders wouldn't take on twenty others.

Another thought popped into his mind, Romeo and Juliet. He smiled widely; he actually had loved it this summer when he and Severus were referenced to the classic English fairy-tale. He hoped he didn't have the same ending, of course. That would be horrific…

The doors opened again and Sorrel Allen walked in, her expression shy. "Hey," She said, smiling at Sirius, who beckoned her over to the sofa, "How are you?"

"I'm ok Sorrel, how's your first year at good ol' Hogwarts going?"

Sorrel nodded happily, "Oh it's ok, just…" She hesitated, "I came to talk to you about Sev."

"Oh?" Sirius tried not to sound _too_ interested. Sorrel shrugged.

"I don't like that you two aren't together any more. It's… Well, I don't think it's right." She looked up at him, "Are you… Uh, going to do anything? I mean, I know we had that huge meeting thing and then you told the Marauders yesterday, but what about Severus' part in all of this?"

Sirius smiled, rolling his eyes. These girls were very persistent, not matter what their age.

"I have it all worked out Sorrel, I promise. I may ruin my bad boy reputation and my reputation in general in the process, but I have it all sorted." He held out his pinkie finger, "Promise."

Sorrel laughed and went along with it, hooking her pinkie finger around his, "Good." She said, "Can I do anything to help?"

"No I think…" He thought about it a little more, just for a moment, "Actually, there is one thing."

"Sure."

"Just… Make sure Severus is at dinner tonight, ok?"

Sorrel looked at him quizzically, "Um, sure, that shouldn't be a problem."

"In fact, talk to Lils and make sure every Halfway House member is there. Please?"

Sorrel nodded, "Sure, whatever." She walked over to the door, "And Sirius?"

"Yes?"

She had a bright smile on her face as she said, "I hope everything works out between you and Severus. You are… were a really cute couple. And Severus and you were both a lot happier when you were together then you are now, I can tell you that."

She left Sirius feeling a whole lot better about his plan for the evening.

_Oh please work, please take me back… _He whispered to his thought, he crossed his fingers, closed his eyes, _Please, please, please._


	29. The Annoucement and the Thanks

The Gryffindor Common room filled with people on their way to dinner and Sirius, sitting on the sofa, watched them all go past. Lily, who had spent the day with friends, walked down and past him, laughing with a girl Sirius thought was called Alice. Yes, that was right. She was dating Frank Longbottom, who at that point ran down the stairs and caught her hand.

Sirius' heart was pounding a million beats a second as the Marauders walked down the stairs and locked eyes with him. He offered a small smile and a half-hearted wave. _Smile back, just smile back and I'll know you will forgive me in the end. Please smile._

All three walked straight past him.

Remus looked away with a sad expression on his face, between confusion, innocence and apology. Sirius looked crushed, utterly, utterly crushed.

Which, of course, he was.

Then he straightened up and put a brave face on, smiling at the people who past. _Will you still be smiling at me in an hour'__s time?_

Luckily, he had caught up to Regulus earlier and checked through his plan with him. Regulus had nodded, grinning widely, and hugged him around the waist, "Good luck." He had said, "Just… Yer, just good luck." Then he had left, leaving Sirius even more nervous than he had been.

Now, he stood and followed the huge crowd to dinner. Fear was creeping into his heart. It was trying to make him back out of his decision. His possible fatal, reputation destroying decision.

He sat next to Lily when he entered the Great Hall, his hand finding hers under the table and nearly breaking her fingers with the tight grab he had. "What are you planning?" The red head whispered to him, "Sorrel told us all that you wanted us all to be here for dinner. That alone nearly made Severus skip tea."

"He is here right?" He said frantically, his eyes quickly scanning the Slytherin table.

He mentally thanked himself for clearing his decision with Professor Dumbledore too.

"Nearly," Lily said, "I said nearly. I persuaded him. Eventually."

Sirius breathed a sigh of relief, "Good, that's… good."

"Sirius. What. Are. You. Planning?"

He managed a small smile, "Nothing that you won't find out about in due time my dear girl." He told her, kissing her temple. She scowled at him, untangled her fingers from his and crossed her arms, feigning anger. He laughed at her. She always knew had to make him that little bit _less _nervous.

The food appeared on the plates and everyone dug in. Sirius looked at it, and the queasy feeling set in again. "Sirius, why aren't you eating?" Lily said suspiciously, Sirius stayed silent, "Ok, you are officially freaking me out. What are you planning that's making you _so_ nervous you can't eat?"

"I have to do it," Sirius told her quietly, and her brows furrowed in confusion, "I have to. It's what I have to do if I want him back."

Lily's eyes widened as she looked about the hall. "You're not actually going to-"

"I have to." He said firmly, picking up a chicken wing and twirling it between his fingers absentmindedly, "I have to do this."

"Oh bloody Merlin you're insane." Lily put her head in hands, "If he knew you told the Marauders, then you and him would be fine. You don't have to-"

"Lily," He snapped, his eyes burning, "He won't go near me. He won't talk to me. This might just work. If it doesn't, well, I have no friends and no home and no boyfriend. So let's just hope it does, ok?"

Lily sighed; she lent to whisper in his ear, "Eileen will take you back into the Halfway House. She's just mad you hurt Sev so bad."

Sirius shrugged, "Maybe."

He had received a very formal letter from Eileen that morning, telling him that he would be evicted from the Halfway House, for hexing Lily and cursing Severus. There was nothing of their break up. He would come at the start of the Christmas (or summer if he was staying at Hogwarts for Christmas) holidays to collect his things, and then leave immediately.

Lily finished her meal and Sirius mostly played around with his. Then there was the five minute pause between mains and desserts. Professor Dumbledore had agreed to delay it for another five minutes, so Sirius could speak.

"Students!" Dumbledore called out, as the chicken wings, rice and other plates disappeared, "While we wait for our desserts, Sirius Black would like to make an announcement."

Sirius' heart went a mile a minute, as he stood on the Gryffindor bench. He took a gulp of breath as everyone stared at him, Regulus smiled reassuringly, did a thumbs up with both hands at him.

"Hey everyone!" He said, "So, I am going to tell you basically what happened this summer to me and my brother." A lot of people gasped, and looked to Regulus too. Severus' eyes were practically popping out of his head. "There is a reason to my madness, I promise, which will be explained later. Oh, and for anyone with parents who are journalists, don't both, I've already sold the story to a friend."

"Millie?" Lily asked, and he nodded.

He cleared his throat, smiled, "Where to start? How about, for all those people hearing rumours, me and Reg were _not_ kidnapped, we ran away from home. We did so because our parents are both extremists, and we hate their views and also we didn't feel, safe, shall we say, in that house." He locked eyes with Severus, "And then we went to the Halfway House."

A few people gasped, some looked at Severus, whose head dropped onto the table, then shot up again, his eyes wide and his ears wanting to listen.

"Yes, I can see you all looking at Severus Snape, yes his mother, Eileen, owns the Halfway House. Not that me or Reg knew at the time. Bit of a shock when he opened the door." He laughed slightly, "Moving on, that is where we went and what happened to us. But I want to tell you what happened afterwards. More pacifically, what happened to me."

"Oh bloody hell you are actually going to go there." Lily groaned, making a lot of people laugh, Sirius included.

"I am merely telling the truth, something I should have done a long while ago." He said to her, and she smiled up at him.

"If you are sure," She said, "That you want to tell them all."

Sirius looked around the hall, his eyes stopped on Severus. He grinned, _that boy there, that's why you're doing this. Remember that. _"I'm sure. Now, as you all know I am not known for being friendly to a certain Slytherin." Everyone looked at Severus, "And of course, I had now moved into the same house as Severus and I'll be honest, I was petrified."

Everyone laughed. Severus grinned widely. Sirius took it as a good sign.

"Really I was. I like to consider Hogwarts my home ground and there I was, completely off guard, on his! He showed me and Regulus around the house and then Regulus went off his lower boys bedroom, and me and Severus went to upper boys. And amazingly, we started to talk to each other."

Everyone had raised eyebrows and Severus' smile grew.

"And we agreed to restart."

A few "oh my gods" were heard.

"Oh, stop with oh my gods, believe me you'll be more shocked a minute or so. Anyway, the next day Severus showed me around the house and into this little tree house in the back of the garden. And I've going to cut right to the chase here, we nearly kissed."

"YOU WENT THERE!" Lily cried, throwing her head onto the table as everyone stared at the Gryffindor boy and the Slytherin boy in shock. Sirius shrugged.

"Not over yet." He laughed, "And then I think Severus apparently talked to Lily and his mum about what happened, and the next day I confronted him about it but we got interrupted, thank you Sam, Daniel and Aaron."

"You're welcome!" The three boys grinned up at him.

"So when we all went out for a swim in the pool, I confronted him again. And we went back to the tree house and there, and now you can say oh my god, we kissed."

"OH MY GOD!"

"I'm going to faint."

"I can't believe it!"

Sirius grinned, but faltered when he saw two Marauders staring up at him with disgust and another one looking up in exasperation, shaking his head. Severus was smiling at him.

"It gets better, it did for me anyway, we asked each other out, and we both said yes."

The occupants of the hall were gaping at him. Lily was grinning at him.

"And even better, everyone at the Halfway House accepted us, and I, and this is completely true," He looked right at Severus, making eye contact, "I had never been happier. I was accepted. I was loved. I had someone who would hold me and just talk to me. And I had friends out of school who accepted me. Actually, they are now the only friends that accept me."

A lot of people looked at the Marauders, who crossed their arms and stared defiantly back. Remus didn't. He looked at the table.

"But anyway, moving on once more, I spent one whole blissful summer with Severus and the rest of the Halfway House. I may sort of prompted Sam and Aaron to ask Lily and Janine out, since they weren't getting a move on, I took out a restraining order on my parents, and I made more friends than ever. But of course, summer had to end."

He fidgeted uncomfortably, "You can do this." Lily mouthed up at him, Regulus nodded at him.

"Me and Severus and Regulus and the rest of Halfway had an agreement, we would all keep the fact that me and Reg lived at Halfway and that me and Severus were dating a secret, to everyone at school. This was meant to give me time to tell the other Marauders about Severus and the summer." He took a breath, "But I will admit, I let my house down, and I was a coward. A complete and utter coward. I never told them. I kept putting it off. And eventually, the inevitable happened."

"The right thing…" James grumbled.

"No, James, not the right thing." Sirius glared at him, "Me and James, as always was before, got in a fight with Severus and Lily. And because James didn't know about me and Severus at the time, he was all for cursing him. All for me cursing him. And I am so, so ashamed to say that I did. I don't think I have ever done something so utterly _stupid_ in my whole life." He looked apologetic, "Sorry if a lot of people look at you now Sev,"

"Used to it by now."

Sirius smiled, "But if you look at the scar on Severus' forehead, that's the one I made not a week ago. And after, when I could finally get away from the Marauders, and get to the Halfway dorms, I had the pleasure of having a door slammed into my face."

"You are very welcome." Said Lily, as did Sam and Janine.

"And then suddenly, everyone left, and I went in. And had a very heart breaking conversation with Severus, which was basically him breaking up with me. Over the fight and also the fact I refused to tell the Marauders about the two of us."

"You came storming into the dorms and wouldn't talk to us." Remus said, looking up at him. And Sirius' heart lifted a little in hope. He nodded.

"Yes. And the whole house basically disowned me, except for Regulus. But I knew what I had to do. I managed to get the girls to talk to me again and together, we planned how I was going to tell the Marauders about this summer."

Severus smile was growing wider at him, "And I told them. And they were shocked. And disgusted. And I have been completely disowned from my friends group." His own smile grew wide and he laughed softly, "And do you know what? Now I have told you all this, and I have got all of that off my chest, I feel ten times better. If Severus takes me back or not, I have finally got that all off of my chest, and I feel _so_ much better now. I should have done this weeks ago!"

He jumped down from the bench and took a bow, "Thanks for listening. That is the end of my shocking announcement."

There was silence before someone started to clap. And then the whole hall joined in. Sirius grinned as it died down, and Lily jumped up and hugged him. Robin came over and hit him in the chest, "That wasn't so hard was it!" She grinned.

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Wasn't as hard as I expected."

"And the Marauders are all idiots." Lily added, "Anyway, you have us. You don't need three idiots who won't accept you, right?"

"Right." Sirius grinned, "Thank you."

"No problem."

Regulus came running up to him, gave him a hug, "Nice one Sirius, told you it wouldn't be that hard to tell people about you and Sev!"

"Is everyone going to put me down for not telling people sooner?" Sirius groaned when everyone nodded, "Ok, I had that coming. I'll take it." He hugged Regulus back.

Lily, Regulus and Robin's eyes grew wide and they stepped back a few steps. A few people in the hall took a deep breath, some clasped hands, and some smiled. "What?" Sirius asked, as someone tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned to see Severus looking down at him, crossing his arms, smiling only slightly and eyes amused.

"Ah," Sirius said, "Hi."

"Hi." Severus said, rolling his eyes, "So… That was a pretty big announcement."

Sirius smiled, shrugged, "It had to be done." He hesitated, "Look, Sev, I'm so sorry about what happened last week I was being an idiot and I was a coward and I should have told my friends or ex friends there and then if not sooner and if you didn't know already Eileen kicked me out of Halfway and I didn't know how to make it up to you so I told the Marauders and I did all of this cause I just hoped that if I did maybe you would-"

Severus kissed him.

Sirius' eyes widened in shock, then closed happily, his arms resting on Severus' upper arms and the older boy's went around his waist.

He heard Lily and Robin and a few others squeal. Regulus' _Finally__! _Was heard too. Severus pulled away.

Sirius smiled, taking a breath, "And I just hoped, that if I did all of this, maybe you would love me again."

Severus grinned, pulling him into a hug, "Who said I ever stopped?"

Sirius' smile was too big for his face. His head found Severus' shoulder and rested there, his eyes closing as he thought, _I did it. I did it. I got him back. I really, really did it. He's mine again._ His eyes snapped back open and he drew away from Severus, "One minute."

He ran over to Robin and gave her a tight hug, "Oh!"

"Thank you for saying this was a good idea." He whispered to her, grinning.

Robin laughed and hugged him back. "You're welcome." She said, smiling as Severus walked up to them and took Sirius' hand in his own. "You ok Sev?"

The boy laughed and winked, "You have no idea."

The rest of Halfway ran up to them, shouting "FINALLY!" and grinning. Regulus held up both hands, "Does this mean I can _finally_ move into the Halfway dorms now?" Severus nodded. "And Sirius too!"

"I can't, Eileen kicked me out of Halfway." Sirius shrugged, Severus pulled him into his chest, kissing the top of his head.

"Don't worry, you're back in. I'll have a word with my mum."

"Course you will." Sirius muttered, smiling and relaxing into the Slytherin's chest.

The desserts appeared on the tables, signalling the end of Sirius' ten minutes. But they all watched as the Marauders got up and walked out of the hall. Sirius sighed and let go of Severus' hand, "I have to." He whispered, "I have to try just once more."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Severus asked,

"No, no I think I have to do this alone. But thank you." He hugged the older boy tight, "Thank you so much."

Severus kissed his cheek, "We'll talk later, promise." He said, "Go, or you'll lose them."

Sirius smiled thankfully, and ran after the Marauders. He grinned as he ran.

_He's mine again. I did it. I got him back. I got him back._


	30. The Moony and the Ultimatum

**Just want to say a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed, especially Shizu66 and ImperialMoonBeing, who had reviewed loads and kept me inspired! Thank you! **

It was as if the Marauders knew he would follow them, because they turned and walked into an empty classroom. Sirius thought it was a runes classroom; he hadn't been in this certain one over the years, so he wasn't sure. He pushes the door open. The Marauders were sitting on desks; Remus said quietly, "I cannot believe you just kissed Snape."

"CAN NOT BELIEVE IT IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT!" James thundered, and Sirius winced, "ARE YOU MAD? INTOXICATED? OFF YOU BLOODY MIND ON CRACK? HAS HE DRUGGED YOU? PUT AN ENCHANMENT ON YOU?"

"I am not mad James, nor am I intoxicated or on crack." He said calmly, "No one has drugged me or enchanted me with spells or potions. Is it so bad that I fell in love with the enemy?"

"YES!" The boy yelled, running a hand through his hair and shoving his glasses up his nose, "Snape? SNAPE? Of all the greasy, twisted, dark-arts loving Slytherin's you could pick, you pick SNAPE."

"Yes." Sirius said quietly, "Do you hate me so much because I fell in love?"

James groaned, his head in hands, "I don't hate you because you fell in love, so you say anyway, I am just disgusted by the fact you _picked him_ to fall in love with!"

"You can't pick and choose who you fall in love with."

"YOU COULD TRY PICK SOMEONE A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN SNIVELS!"

"DO NOT CALL HIM THAT!" Now he was screaming to, "HE WAS THERE FOR ME WHEN I NEEDED HIM, WHEN I HAD JOURNALISTS SCREAMING AT ME AND WHEN I HAD JUST RUN AWAY FROM HOME!"

"We would have been there for you too!" Remus pointed out, "If you had actually told us. Which you didn't."

"Next you will be telling him about bloody well Moony." James grumbled, Sirius froze, "Oh Merlin, you didn't?"

Remus went white when Sirius started to stutter, "I… I didn't… I told him about Padfoot! He guessed… the rest he guessed! I promise, I didn't… Moony I didn't tell him he guessed!"

Now even Remus' glare was icy, "And you didn't just make up some story?" James hissed, his fists clenched.

"I told him about Padfoot, and showed him, and then he guessed by your nicknames! I tried to tell him Moony was an animagus wolf but he knew that I wasn't telling the truth! I'm sorry! He said he wouldn't tell anyone, he said"

"Yes obviously the greasy bat has said a lot of things," Remus snapped, and everyone turned to him with wide eyes, he never insulted anyone, "But how many of them are true?"

"All of them!" Sirius pleaded, "I don't want to lose any of you! Please, I promise he won't tell anyone." He sighed, his eyes teary, "Why can't you just be happy for me? You're my friends!"

"No," James laughed, but it was harsh and cold and distant, "No friend of mine would tell Snape, of all people, about Moony, never mind date him. How could you Sirius?"

"I…" Words failed Sirius about this point. All three of his friends were staring at him coldly. Remus looked close to tears, "Moony… Prongs… Wormtail…"

James practically was spitting when he said, "No, don't call us by those names. Those are the Marauder names. You aren't a Marauder. Not if you go with him."

Peter spoke up for the first time, "No Marauder would ever date a Slytherin."

"Exactly," James said quietly, "So you have two choices. You can leave right now, and be with _him_. And you will never speak to us again. Or you can stay with us, and we will erase your memory and any memory of living with him, and you will come and live with me from now on. Choose."

Sirius' mouth was agape, had he actually just…?!

With perfect timing, Severus opened the door and got three glares and one thankful smile, "Hey, are you ok?" He asked Sirius softly, who nodded.

"Yer, I'm fine."

"No punches being thrown yet?" Severus teased.

Sirius gave a small laugh, shaking his head, "No, not yet. They have just given me an ultimatum."

"Oh," Severus seemed surprised, he closed the door and leaned against, "What was it?"

"Pick you and never speak to them again, or pick them and have my memory erased so I forget this whole summer and everything that happened with you."

Severus tried to hide his shock, "Wow, pretty big decision right there."

"Yer," Sirius smiled, "But not a hard one." He looked at the Marauders, "I'm sorry you can't except us, I really am. Because all three of you are like brothers to me. But true friends would make me pick. True friends wouldn't say they are going to _erase my memory_. And true friends would understand that I can't choose who I fall in love with, and try and accept who I have. I'm sorry, but I can't have you as friends if you won't let me love Severus. Sorry. I'll miss pranking with you, and talking to you, and I expect I won't see you on full moons anymore."

James snorted, "As if."

Sirius walked over and took Severus' hand, "But I have to choose right, and this is right." He smiled shyly up at Severus, "This is very, very right."

"Never speak to us again." Peter said quietly, gaining a little confidence, even though his voice was quiet, "I don't want to talk to someone who would do this to their brothers."

"You shoved me away," Sirius told them, "I would have happily stayed your brother. But I won't let someone try and take my memories and force unhappiness upon me just because you don't like who I love. That's cruel. And it's not something a brother should even _suggest_ doing."

He opened the door, and Severus whispered, "Are you sure? They might make your life hell."

Sirius tightened his grip on his hand, "I have you. I'm sure."

And they left the Marauders standing in dusty classroom.

And they walked away; Severus pulled Sirius into him, holding him tightly, as tears ran quickly down the Gryffindor's face.


	31. Robin's Story

It was not even possible for Sirius to hide his tears from everyone when they got to the Halfway Dorms. They just pulled him into a hug and asked what had happened, many of the girls got tears in their own eyes when he told them he had picked Severus and them over the Marauders. Lily smiled at the two boys clasped hands.

"I'm glad you are together again." She whispered, pulling them both in a hug, "Welcome back to the family Sirius. Which reminds me…" She took out her wand and waved it at the walls, and three pictures of Sirius appeared.

It was exactly like in the room of requirement. One of him and Severus grinning on the couch, in an embrace. One of him and Lily and Mia, and one of him and Regulus, the one where they were laughing.

Lily giggled and Robin winked at him. Sirius just rolled his eyes smiled, "Finally." He whispered, Severus laughed.

"That's going around a lot today isn't it?" He grinned, pulling Severus into his chest, "Good to have you back Siri."

"Good to be back Sev."

They went up to the dorms to find two new beds, one in lower boys and one in upper boys. All of their things were already there, sitting at the end of their beds. Sirius dropped to his knee's by his trunk,

"What are you looking for?" Robin asked, who was standing by the door.

"Picture." Sirius said simply, finding what he was looking for. He brought out a wide photo frame, with the face of everyone in Halfway in it. He was about it put it on his bedside table when Robin snatched it from him.

"Give me two minutes." She said, running off. Sirius sat on his bed and smiled. He was back in the folds of Halfway. Robin came back and took his hand, dragging him downstairs.

His picture hung on the wall above the fireplace, hugely blown up in proportion, so it was a least ten times bigger than it had been. It was in a huge, new silver frame, which was Sirius' but bigger, like the photo. Robin flicked her wand, and with everyone watched, the word "family" engraved itself into the stone above the picture.

Someone, Sirius thought it might have been Lily or Alicia, started to clap. And everyone joined in. And people were hugging him and the girls kissed his cheek and Lily cried, in happiness of course, and Severus kissed him full on the lips in front of everybody.

Later, much later, Sirius, Severus, Lily, Sam, Alicia, Robin, Aaron, Daniel and Alex were all sitting in front of the fire. The rest had gone to bed. Aaron had been grumbling that Janice hadn't stayed downstairs.

"So that was an eventful day." Sirius commented, smiling slightly. Everyone laughed.

"I must admit," Robin said, nudging his hand, "When you said 'or I could just tell the whole school' and I said it wouldn't be a bad idea, I didn't expect you to actually do it!"

Sirius shrugged, "It was necessary." He grinned up at Severus, who's shoulder his head was resting on, "And it worked didn't it?"

"It did." Severus kissed him sweetly on the lips, and Aaron stood,

"Ugh," He said, "I cannot stand all this love! Not without my girlfriend around at least, I'm going to bed!"

Everyone chuckled as he walked off, just leaving the eight. Robin noticed she was still wearing her tie and wrenched the green and silver slither of material off, throwing it away and narrowly missing the fire. "So, now there are once again three couples in Halfway, what about the rest of us?"

"What do you mean?" Lily asked, happily resting in Sam's arms.

"Well, look at you, you're there with Sam, Sev you're with Sirius, Janice is with Aaron, there are still fifteen Halfway kids at Hogwarts without boyfriends or girlfriends!"

"Actually…" Everyone stared at a mumbling Daniel, the 7th Hufflepuff suddenly looked quite self-conscious, "I… Uh… I may have…"

"SPIT IT OUT!" Lily yelled, grinning ear to ear.

"I asked Megan Nickels out!"

Robin and Lily and Alicia all screamed and hugged him, the boys rolled their eyes and congratulated him. Daniel had liked Megan since 5th year. "Speaking of asking people out…" Alex said, "If Daniel has said so, I might as well, I asked Lindsey out."

Everyone just stared at him, "Lindsey? As in Lindsey Darren's?"

"Uh, yes?"

They all continued to stare. Lindsey had been Alex's friend since his first year. They were inseparable. But no one would ever imagine them being more than friends. Except, apparently, for both of them. You know when everyone is whispering behind your back about someone you would be perfect for? Or even better, when two people like each other and everyone knows but them, this was the exact reversal.

"Well you could be happy for me." Alex said sarcastically, "Daniel got screams and hugs and congratulations, I get blank stares."

"I'm really happy for you." Lily crawled back out of Sam's embrace to hug him, but her face said 'I am so shocked'.

"Thanks," Alex smiled, "I really like her."

"I guess… I just don't think any of us ever imagined you and Lindsey being more than friends." Lily said, Alex smiled. Everyone else just nodded.

He repeated, "I really like her." He stood, "I'm going to go to bed now, if anyone else wants to be happy for me, tell me about it in the morning." He sounded annoyed and a little upset.

"I…"  
"What?"  
"I really didn't…"

Everyone said nothing after those few stutters. "Moving on." Alicia said quietly, and everyone nodded. They were all thinking the same thing, _Why am I getting the feeling they aren't going to last long?_

"So thirteen of us." Robin grumbled, curling up smaller on her armchair. Everyone else slowly trickled off to bed. Severus kissed Sirius goodnight and left. Alicia waved and darted up the stairs. Lily and Sam also went. Daniel stretched and moped off. Then it was just Robin and Sirius left.

"Robin?"

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you something… I guess it's quite personal."

Robin frowned, and sat up a little more, "Ok, I guess it depends on the question."

"Why are you living at Halfway?"

Robin froze up in her chair. Sirius started to apologise.

"No! I'm sorry, you don't have to answer I was just… You know, curious!"

Robin laughed shakily, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, "No, no its ok. I'll tell you." She came and sat by him on the couch. "It's… It's not a particular nice story, I'll you that."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"It was many summers ago," She started quietly, ignoring his previous saying, "It started when I got my Hogwarts letter when I was eleven. My parents are both muggles. They… They didn't react well when McGonagall came to my house to tell them about Hogwarts." She took a deep breath, "They thought I was contagious. That I was mad and that was why I had to go to boarding school faraway. They called me abnormal, a miscreation… A mutant."

"They did all of that in front of McGonagall?"

Robin nodded, "Haven't you ever seen how McGonagall is always asking me how I am? How is Halfway? How' Eileen? Just checking I'm ok?"

Now Sirius thought about it, he remembered times in the Great Hall when the transfiguration teacher had walked right up to Robin at the Slytherin table, before they were friends. He remembered her being stopped in the corridor, in the grounds, by the lake .

"Yes." Sirius said quietly,

"My mum… Maria was her name, screamed at me to get out of her house. Professor McGonagall was so shocked; she had never seen Muggle parents react so badly. She told me to go and get my things, so I ran upstairs, in tears, and packed everything I thought was critical for me to have into a suitcase. I didn't know what to do. My whole life changed in five minutes."

"Oh my god, Robin I'm so sorry."

"Anyway, McGonagall took to Severus' house, and she talked to Eileen. And suddenly, I was living in this strange place, with a strange black haired boy and an equally strange red headed girl. I was the first to Halfway apart from Lily and Severus."

"It's grown a bit in the past five years, hasn't it?" Sirius smiled, and Robin nodded.

"Anyway, I cried every night for my parents. That's how I came to be so close to Lily, despite being Gryffindor and Slytherin. Before I came to Hogwarts, that summer, she was my life line. I grew so close to Severus too, he was the protective older brother I had always wanted. At Hogwarts, they never left my side bar classes."

"And things are better now." Sirius whispered, drawing the girl into a hug, "Right?"

Robin nodded, "A few years back, I was in third year, going into fourth. During the summer, I went and saw my parents. Or tried, they slammed the door in my face. It was only after pleading with them did they let me in and we talked, for about five minutes. Then I mentioned magic and I was royally thrown out. My dad actually picked me up and threw me out of the door. He told I wasn't his daughter. Just before… Before he threw me out, I heard crying… My mum ran upstairs and when my dad was throwing me out, I was mum holding this babe. Mum… She called the baby Robin." A tear dripped down her cheek.

"Robin…"

"They had replaced me."

"Robin…" Sirius didn't know what to say,

Robin regained her composure, angrily wiping her tears away and forcing a grin, "But it doesn't matter now. Because I've replaced them. I have a new family now, and it's ten times better than the old one."

"And bigger too." Sirius pointed out and Robin giggled,

"True." She got up, "I'm going to bed. But thank you… I… I needed to tell someone that.

Sirius looked up at her, shocked, "You've never told anyone?"

"Not the full story." Robin said quietly, "Eileen knows, of course she does, but not about third year. No one knows about that."

"I'm honoured you would tell me."

Robin smiled and leant down to give Sirius a tight hug, "Don't hurt Sev again. I have a feeling you're going to be good for this family. I… I think I need you in this family. I don't know why, but I really, really trust you."

"I'll always be there for you if you need to Robin." Sirius whispered, "Any time you just ask me. Ok?"

"Ok." Robin whispered, smiling. She left.

"I can't believe that just happened."

Sirius turned and smiled. Severus was standing, looking quite shocked, at the bottom of the steps leading to his Head Boy dorm. "There's a lot of that going around today." Sirius teased.

Severus smiled, then he frowned, "I never knew… I should have known…"

"Hey, she didn't want anyone to know." Sirius said, "All we can do now is make sure she is protected and loved."

Severus smiled but nodded, "Ok, yes, you're right. But I still should have"

"No buts." Sirius smiled, leaning in to hug the taller boy, "You couldn't have known. But still… I can't believe she went through all of that alone."

"Do you think Lily knows?" Severus asked, "She mentioned Lily in the beginning of her story? When she was crying for her parents. Lily… Lily may have known. Those two have a lot in common."

Sirius looked up at him in horror, "You don't mean"

"No! No. Just the whole being called abnormal. Lily's sister, Petunia, called her a freak at every given opportunity."

"Oh…" Sirius said softly, "It had just came to me, how I actually don't know about how anyone but myself, Regulus and you came to Halfway, and now Robin too. I don't even know about Lily!"

Severus froze up a little bit, "Lily's story is not one you want to hear love." He said softly, "Go to bed, I'll see you in the morning." He kissed Sirius on the lips and went to go up his stairs, he suddenly turned and said to Sirius, "I'm so glad you're in our family again. I… I've never seen Robin so honest about her parents since she came to Halfway all those years ago. She always clams up and makes some excuse to leave if someone asks her about them."

Sirius smiled, "I'm glad to be included in the Halfway family. I don't know where I would if not without you guys," He grinned shyly, "And without you, of course."

Severus smiled just as widely, "Likewise Sirius." He said, "I don't know where I would be today without you." Then he turned and climbed the rest of the stairs to his dorm. Sirius watched him go, did a little happy dance and went up to bed.

"What's up?" Sam said quietly, knowing the others were probably asleep, when Sirius got into bed. Their beds were next to each other, so Sirius turned his head a little to the left to see Sam. "You seem happy."

"I am." Sirius said, "Why wouldn't I be? I'm back in the Halfway house dorms, actually living here now. I'm friends with all of you again. I'm dating Sev again. And I feel trusted by you all again. What's not to be happy about?"

All thoughts of the Marauders left his mind as he listed everything quite right with his live at the moment. Instead, when he dreamed, he dreamed of an eleven year old girl with black hair and big, blue, scared eyes.

…..

Authors note. Can I just say, Sirius is not dreaming about Robin because he likes her, but because his heart goes out to her eleven year old self and feels sorry for the little girl who was abandoned my her parents, because he felt much the same way. NOT A POTENTIAL COUPLE! I know how shippers work, believe me, I am one xx Hope you enjoy the rest of the story!


	32. The Prank and the Reassurance

Remus, James and Peter all sat in their dorm, looking at the bed that had once been a friend's cluttered mess, now was clean and made and empty.

"How could he do this to us?" James whispered suddenly.

Remus had worked out that even though the boy had been harsh and cold towards Sirius, he was secretly completely devastated that Sirius would do something like this to him and leave so long to tell him about it.

"People do strange things when in love." Remus said, and James stood and punched the wall.

"He isn't actually in love with Snape!" He hissed, then he hesitated, "He… He can't be."

Remus had his hand in his hands, he couldn't believe it. Sirius had told Snape, a Slytherin, the person that had hated them for years, about his furry not-so-little problem. How could he? He had said that Snape had guessed from knowing Sirius was actually Padfoot, but still… How could he tell someone?

"What if he is?" Peter's timid voice broke through his voice,

"Then he's no friend of ours." James said confidently, "I say we start planning a little prank in honour of Hogwarts' newest couple…"

…

Remus was walking the halls, he was the only one around, and everyone else was outside enjoying the last of the sun before autumn turned to winter.

"Lupin!" A voice called behind him and it made him freeze up ever so slightly. He swallowed and turned to face Severus Snape. "Hey." The other boy said, smiling ever so slightly and moving his hair out of his eyes.

"Hello Snape." Remus said, holding his books more protectively to his chest. "Here to curse me are you? Now you have one of the Marauders alone and not in the usual pack?"

Severus laughed, "Wow, you really don't think very well of me, do you?"

Remus looked up at him, "Um, no. After five years of you cursing my friends, I can't say I am thrilled you are dating one of them. So I am going to have to say no to that."

"Look," Severus said, looking about them to see if anyone was around, "Sirius said to me that it didn't go down very well about me knowing about… Um, your furry little problem, isn't that what you call it?"

Remus blushed and nodded, "Yes well…"

"Lupin I know we are far from friends and I know you have disowned Sirius, something he is really upset about may I add, but I would never tell anyone about that. Ever. That would be cruel and unnecessary and it would get you expelled."

"Wouldn't that be the exact reason you would do it?" Remus said quietly, looking up at the Slytherin through his lashes.

Severus smiled and sat on a nearby bench, after weighing out the options in his mind, and eliminating running, Remus sat next to him.

"Maybe in another Slytherin's mind, or even in my fifth or fourth year mind, yes. I would have loved to see one of the Marauders expelled last year. Revelled in it even."

"But now?" Remus asked quietly, and Severus smiled.

"But now I'm dating Sirius."

"And that changes things?"

Severus' smile got a little wider, "That changes everything." Severus said, "When Sirius told me about Padfoot, I worked the rest out. I was shocked and amazed they would take those risks but also really proud that he would be so willing to put himself at risk. I wasn't going to put all of that bravery to waste. And also…"

"And also what?" Remus asked, and Severus blushed.

He shrugged, "I happen to really like Sirius. I don't think expelling one of the people he likes to call brother would help me."

"He's not my brother anymore."

"True," Severus replied, "Sirius is more scared of the fact you are going to curse him than hug him in front of everyone in the corridor. But he hopes that one day you will forgive him for falling in love and accept him. Accept us."

Remus hung his head, "I don't mind that he fell in love… I just mind that"

"He fell in love with me." Severus finished for him, smiling.

Now Remus shrugged. "We already established that I don't particularly like you."

"Your friends started it." Severus grumbled, but he sighed, "Look, we're never going to be best friends. But I am more than willing to be civil for Sirius' sake. He wants you back, all of you. He misses you and as much as he might love being back with the Halfway kids, they cannot replace the Marauders."

Remus nodded, "I'm not actually that mad at him. Not over being with you at least. It's more the fact that he didn't keep my furry little secret a… well, a secret. And he didn't even tell us that he was going to tell you about Padfoot. That's sort of a Marauders thing. Does… Does anyone else know?"

Severus shook his head, "No one was with us when he told me. We were alone."

"Right…" Remus fidgeted uncomfortably and it made Severus laugh a little.

"We were just spending time together before school started again Lupin, don't go getting ideas."

Remus blushed beetroot, but even he laughed a little, "You're not so bad Snape."

"You're not so bad yourself Lupin." Severus stood and helped Remus with his books, "I just wanted you to know that I wouldn't tell, Sirius was worried you would be worried."

"An hour ago? I was." Remus smiled, "But not anymore. And I will consider talking to Sirius… I don't think James or Peter will be persuaded though."

Severus sighed, "I know but"

"Sev there you are!"

Remus watched as a girl, Slytherin, rounded the corner. She had long black hair that curled at the ends, big blue eyes and a _very short skirt_. Remus blushed again.

"Hey Robin." Severus smiled, "What's up?"

"Half of Halfway are looking for you." Robin hit her friends shoulder, smiling, it faltered when she was who he was with, "And you are…?"

"Remus Lupin, um…"

"Oh yes," Robin sneered, and Remus tensed, "One of the three stupid, dysfunctional idiots who decided that Sirius wasn't good enough to be friends with anymore, just because he's dating someone you don't like."

"Actually"

"Save it for someone who cares." Robin cut across him, "I.e., not me. And may I add, if you hurt him, me and Lily will kick all of your backsides. We're a protective family, and Sirius is one of us. Therefore, you hurt him, we kill you. Got it?"

Then she walked off.

"Yer, she's like that all the time." Severus chuckled at Remus' horrified expression. "She is especially protective of Sirius. So… Yer... Good luck."

"SEVERUS!"

"Coming Robin!" Severus laughed, starting to walk off, "See you around Lupin. And I promise; your secret is safe with me."

Remus felt so bad there and then. Here was this Slytherin, trying his hardest to be so nice to him, reassuring him. And back in the Gryffindor dorms, James and Peter were planning a prank that would humiliate both Snape and his ex-friend…

"Snape!"

…

He was already gone.


	33. The Red Mandrake and the Collapse

_Sorry this is MAJERLY delayed, I have just got back to school, and have been extremely busy sorting out my new courses, enrolling in things, getting used to homework again! Sorry, but here it is x_

Sirius and the rest of Halfway groaned when the alarms went off on Monday morning. They trudged downstairs. Sam, Lily, Severus and Sirius were the most down. They had a double potions lesson, and if they were with the same partners as last year, Sirius was with one James Potter.

"You'll be fine." Severus whispered to him as they made their way from breakfast to their potions room, "Really. You can try switching partners with someone, ok?"

Sirius nodded mutely, he was _not_ looking forward to the next hour. James would not be talking to him, and the other Marauders, who worked on cauldron next to them, would probably be just as silent. Remus especially now that he knew Sirius had let slip his s_ecret_ to Severus.

He groaned as they reached the potions corridor, holding his boyfriend's hand more tightly. Severus smiled sadly and kissed his temple, "You'll be fine." He repeated.

"I wish…" Sirius muttered darkly, walking into their classroom. The Professor didn't say anything like 'sit with who you worked with last year' so the four of them sat by each other, at the front of the classroom, being the only seats left. The Marauders were one back from them.

"Alright then!" Professor Stonles said, clapping his hands, "You will _not_ be in the pairs you were last years. Mostly."

Sirius sighed with relief, grinning, Severus whispered, "See, I told you." Sirius rolled his eyes at him.

"When I call out your names, the first person I say go sit by the second." He started rolling off names.

"Sam with Aaron."

Sam smiled at them before moving next to another Ravenclaw at the back of the classroom. Others were moved around, and Peter paired with Remus. Only a few people were left.

"Severus and Lily, as you worked so well together last year, you will be together again this year." They both smiled sadly at Sirius, who cursed mentally but shrugged at them, he just hoped that…

"Sirius and James."

"WHAT?" There were several cries from people about the class.

"You are best friends. I thought you would be rejoicing that I am allowing such a health risk to my classroom by pairing you two together."

"Health risk is right…" Severus muttered, his hands clenching into fists.

Professor Stonles was officially the most _oblivious _teacher in the world. _Best friends_?!

"Professor, Sir," James started to object, at the same time as Sirius, "Could you we just-"

They both glared at each other and Professor Stonles looked between them. There was confusion and amusement and questioning all etched into the wrinkles of his face. "I am sorry, I have paired everyone together. Unless someone is willing to swap, there is nothing I can do."

Sirius began to pack up his books as the Professor rolled out the last names. Lily was biting her lip as he walked past her, slowly edging towards the desk where James sat glaring at him. "I'll swap!"

Everyone stared at Lily in complete disbelief.

She was known for her hatred of James Potter. And here she was, volunteering to be his partner in potions. "Are you sure Miss Evans? This assignment may take us up to the half term holiday in October? I was under the impression you and Mr Potter did not get along."

"Oh no, I hate him with all fibre of my being. But I hate the thought of Sirius having to work with him more. If that's humanely possible." Some people sniggered.

Sirius gave her a hug and whispered thank you. She smiled and shrugged, "Health risk, ok?"

He whispered another thank you before walking over to Severus, grinning shyly. "Hey."

"Hello again." Severus grinned back, "And also… I told you so."

Sirius hit him lightly, "But poor Lily. I can't believe she did that for me…"

The professor broke through their conversation, "You will be making this draught." He motioned to the board, and a long, long set of instructions. A few people groaned and hit their heads on the tables. "Begin!"

"When are you going to do it?" Peter hissed to James, as Lily went to go get supplies. James patted his robe pocket, smirking.

"Soon." He mouthed, winking.

His plan had worked out perfectly. They were making the draught that the Professor had said they would, Severus and Sirius were in a pair together, it was all going _perfectly._ He scowled as Sirius laughed at something Severus had said.

Lily returned with the ingredients in her arms, and they started to work in silence. "So," James said, smirking still, "How are you Evans?"

"My health is none of your business." She snapped back, tipping something into their cauldron.

James shrugged, still smirking. "I just thought, because we're going to be together for a while, we might as well chat."

"I disagree." Lily said,

"Fair enough." James replied, he brought the red mandrake slivers out of his pocket and threw them.

They landed straight into Severus and Sirius cauldron.

Severus spun around, "What the hell Potter?!"

"Sev," Sirius whispered, as there cauldron started to hiss and bubble and rise, "Sev!"

"What was it?" Severus asked James, glaring something fierce.

"SEV!" Sirius screamed, just as the fumes started to rise further, James chuckled quietly, stepping back somewhat.

"Sirius move!" Severus said, trying to push his boyfriend out of the way as he saw the fumes rising upward, but Sirius was rooted to the spot, "Sirius, SIRIUS!"

Severus only had time to push Sirius away, making him hit the wall, before the fumes and potion exploded upwards and hit the ceiling.

Severus only had time to cover his head with his arms as the ceiling collapsed and dust filled the room as a section of the room above, fell down.

Before the bricks rained down on top of him.


	34. The Blood and the Tears

The air was thick with dust that made everyone cough, but that had all seen what had happened to Severus Snape.

It was Lily's scream and Sirius' scream mingled that cut through the air. Lily, not having been hit by anything, ran forward and fell to her friend's side, carefully but quickly taking the bricks off his broken body. Sirius, much slower after hitting the wall, managed to stumble forward.

"Sev?" He croaked, kneeling by his boyfriend's side. "Sev?"

There was no answer as they pulled bricks off him; Sam also managed to make his way forward and fell to his knees to help. They heard Professor Stonles conjure two patronus' to summon the headmaster and the nurse to the potions rooms immediately.

"SEV WAKE UP!" Sirius screamed while his tears fell onto Severus' face, mingling with the blood on his forehead. "Please… Please!"

They succeeded in taking all the bricks of him. "Sev?" Lily whispered, as they all took in the blood covering the Slytherin's body, it was soaking his shirt and robe and trousers and every bone seemed at a bad angle.

"Please Sev, just wake up." Sirius whispered, taking the Slytherin's face in his hands, "Just talk to me, Severus. Wake up. WAKE UP!"

Sobs took over his body, he barely noticed Remus yelling at James, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? IT WAS NOT MEANT TO DO THAT!"

"I altered it…" James whispered back, and he looked both scared yet… Victorious.

"Sev please…" Sirius whispered, and suddenly, there was a small mumble from the boy. Everyone in the room murmured a sigh of relief, as his eyes fluttered open.

"Hey guys." He mumbled, "Why am I covered in liquid?"

Lily choked on a sob, "It's… It's blood Sev. But you're going to be ok!" She added, when Severus eyes widened.

"Are you ok?" He asked Sirius, remembering what had happened, "Did… Did you get…" He coughed and blood covered his lips, "Get hit?"

"No, you… I'm fine Severus." Sirius whispered, "You pushed me out the way. You saved my life." Severus went a little limp, and Sirius entwined their hands.

"I'm glad…" Severus said, squeezing Sirius' hand, "I'm glad… That you're ok…"

Sirius felt a tear slide down his cheek, "You're going to be ok too. You're a hero Sev. You saved me. You saved me."

"Had too…" Severus coughed up more blood, "Couldn't let you… I couldn't let you… Get hurt." Even some tough, rough, Slytherin girls were in tears now.

Sirius smiled, "I'm not hurt, I promise."

Severus tried to nod but grimaced, his eyes were starting to flutter shut, "M'tired… Everything… It all hurts…."

Sirius panicked, "Don't close your eyes Severus!" He said frantically, "Don't slip away, don't… Don't close your eyes!"

"OH MY MERLIN!" Came the nurse's shriek as she arrived just then, just as Severus closed his eyes and went completely limp, his hand no longer squeezing Sirius'.

"No! NO! NO!" Sirius screamed, "WAKE UP! WAKE UP! I CAN NOT LOSE YOU SEVERUS SNAPE DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE ME!"

Professor Dumbledore had tears in his eyes as Madam Pomfrey; the schools new nurse took in all the blood and conjured a stretcher. Professor Dumbledore conjured a hundred patronus' from his air, astounding the class, and told them all to go to a different teacher, telling them not to let their students out of lessons because there had been a major incident and that Madam Pomfrey needed the corridors clear to get a critically hurt student to the hospital wing, but if they have any Halfway House members in their classes, send them to his office immediately.

Sirius and Lily and Sam begged Madam Pomfrey, "Can we go with you? We have to stay with him! We'll help, or stay out of the way, whatever! Please?" Their tones were so frantic that Madam Pomfrey nodded and they all quickly made their way to the hospital wing.

They passed no Halfway House members on their way.

Professor Dumbledore made his way to his office after repairing most of the damage to the potions room and getting witness reports of what had happened. He saw seventeen anxious and scared people sitting outside his office, "SIR!" Robin ran over.

"We know Severus, Sammie, Sirius and Lily all had potions." Someone else said, Alicia he thinks, "In the same room, which is hurt?!"

"Please, let's take this upstairs." Professor Dumbledore said quietly, motioning, "Sugar sweet drops."

The golden eagle appeared the nineteen of them piled into Dumbledore's office. The headmaster sat and conjured chairs for everyone else, "I want you all to be silent until I finish," He said, "There has been a major incident in the potions room, the one which all four of Sammie, Lily, Severus and Sirius were in. Someone threw red mandrake into the cauldron in which Severus and Sirius were working."

They all gasped, Sorrel and Leather both had tears in their eyes already.

"It exploded and made the ceiling collapse. Lucky, there was no one in the classroom above them, or everything would have been even more severe."

"Oh my god…" Robin muttered, head in hands, "Who was hurt? Who threw the red mandrake?"

"Silence please. Lily and Sammie were too far away to get hurt. Sirius and Severus were in direct line of fire. But, in a moment of pure bravery, courage and sacrifice that will always be remembered, Severus pushed Sirius out of the way. But he himself, did not have the time to get out of the way. The ceiling collapsed on top of him."

"Bricks?" Aaron asked.

"Many." Dumbledore said, and now everyone of them was crying, "Now, Sirius, Sammie and Lily and everyone else in the room are unharmed, but Mr Snape is critically injured."

"Is it life threatening?"

"He was speaking when I got there, but fell back unconscious. He was coughing up blood and many bones are broken, there might be internal bleeding as well as the external, collapses lung, punctured organs…"

"Could it be life threatening?" Robin asked again, her tone forceful.

Dumbledore nodded, tears slipping down his cheeks, "Yes. Very much so."

Janine, Robin, Sorrel, Leather and every other girl in the room burst into sobs, the boys wrapped their arms around them and cried as well. "You cannot see him now; he will have to spend many a night in hospital…"

"If he survives…" Robin whispered, and Daniel tightened his grip on her, as she shook.

"Sirius, Lily and Sammie are all with him now, helping Madam Pomfrey. You all, of course, will not be needing to attend lessons today. I will come with you to your dorms, then I must send a letter to Eileen."

"Do that now." It was Sorrell who spoke through her sobs, "Do that now. Do that before we go to our dorms. I… We need that letter sent. I need my mum."

They all nodded, and Dumbledore agreed. He wrote a short letter to Eileen explaining the circumstances and whistled, a large hawk appeared and took the letter, flying out of an open window.

Many people watched the large group struggle back to their dorms, eyes widened when they noticed the tears and the fact four people were missing. They had heard the patronus message their teachers had received, some of them had had Halfway House people in the classes, and watched them run out without their things.

They all struggled back to their dorms, struggled in and collapsed onto the sofa's and the floor, in one large group, not going to leave each other. None of them turned up for lunch.

They waited.

They waited for news, whether it be good or…

Bad.


	35. We will not be beaten

In the end, Daniel persuaded them to go to dinner. They didn't want to. None of them did, but Daniel stood tall. Slightly shaky, but tall. He was the oldest and felt that in the absence of both their head boy and girl of Halfway, there needed to be order and that needed to come from him.

"We can't let those damn Marauders beat us." Daniel insisted; standing and pulling Sorrel up with him.

"I'm going to beat them into next year." Robin murmured, but no one responded. They all knew she would. As soon as she got over the shock, the hurt and the grief coursing through all of their bodies.

They didn't even know for defiant it had been the Marauders who had caused the accident. But they each had a brain and they used it. They knew that if anyone would be out to hurt Severus and Sirius' newly replenished relationship it would be the Marauders. The same people who had been in the exact same room as the two boys when the ceiling collapsed.

"I'll help." Daniel confirmed, and they all looked up at him, "But right now we need to act as a family that will not be beaten by a few homophobic 6th years. Come on, stand up. We're going to dinner. We'll sit at the Hufflepuff table and eat dinner. And then we will march to the hospital wing and demand to see our brother. Got it?"

Everyone grudgingly nodded and helped each other up. The boy's, ever the gentleman Eileen had brought them up to be, each kept an arm around the girls, keeping them steady as they shook. Robin wiped away a few tear tracks on her cheeks, staring determinedly at everyone despite her bloodshot eyes.

"We will not be beaten." She repeated Daniel, who nodded once. He took her hand and together the family walked. They took gasps of breath, many still in shock; they had aches in their hearts, fuelled by exhaustion, grief and hate. But they shared the ache. They would get through this together.

Daniel took a deep breath and smiled, a fake smile, reassuringly at his family before he pushed open the great hall doors.

Everyone was staring at them. There was not one eye that wasn't glued to them. It was Daniel, again, who spoke and took the lead.

"Whoever tried to hurt my family, rest assured that you will not go without my hatred burning your back wherever you go. Whoever tried to hurt my family, rest assured that you will not go unharmed. Whoever tried to hurt my family, sleep with one eye open… Because you are not going to get off lightly for this." He smirked, there was hate curled into his lips, "And then there is the small, ever so small, matter of our mother. Eileen. Who will hunt you down and kill you very slowly… very painfully. And she will do so because you dared to try and hurt one of us. And you know what, I'll be happy when she does."

Everyone was staring at Daniel in absolute terror and shock. The boy was a Hufflepuff. He was kind and considerate and tutored first years in his spare time. Now they knew he was more than that. More than a kind face. He was loyal and protective and would not let anyone harm his own. He was a brother who would not stand by and watch people be hurt. He was a fighter with dark eyes and clenched fists as he led his family to his own house table and let a frightened young girl settle into his side.

Now everyone looked at Dumbledore, wondering if he would say anything. Daniel had basically threatened to kill someone. But Dumbledore remained impassive. A clear face. And then he turned to Daniel and did something that no one had expected. He nodded. Just the once but everyone knew the meaning.

_Well said. _

…

**Just a short chapter there. Now, I have some apologies to make. For one and a half months, I have not updated. ONE AND A HALF MONTHS. Went by a bit quick don't you think? I do. I am terribly, terribly sorry to everyone who is following and waiting for an update, truly I am. The excuse, I have been working on my own novel (not a fanfic, an actual novel) and also on another fanfic of mine, The Family. Between the work of both of them, I have had by work cut out and The Halfway House got left behind. I assure you I will try my best to not let that happen again. This cannot be promised, as The Family is coming to an end, has more followers and therefore needs quite a bit of attention. Sorry, sorry, sorry. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW. (sorry again). **


	36. The Great Hall and the Hospital Wing

**Slightly longer chapter, with a lot happening, hope you enjoy it and PLEASE REVIEW! **

Sorrel sighed as she settled further into Daniel's side. She didn't want to eat, like many of her family had stated already, and she stared down at the plate in front of her, and the roast beef platter just in front of that same plate. She bit her lip. She really didn't want to.

"Eat something, Sorrel." Daniel encouraged, but Sorrel noticed that he was a little white faced, looking sickly. There wasn't anything on his plate either, "If you don't you're going to wake up in the night feeling sick. Just have a piece of beef and a few vegetables. Please?"

Knowing that what Daniel had said was true, she reached out and put a piece of on her plate. The rest of the Halfway house, many not eating, had heard Daniel's words and followed the first years actions. Daniel smiled, knowing he had done something right.

Just as Sorrel reached for the vegetables, she looked up at the Great Hall doors, and then suddenly she was jumping out of her seat and rushing towards Lily and Sam, who had just come in. They both had red, puffy and bloodshot eyes and gladly embraced the young girl.

"Are you two alright?"

"Are you ok?"

"Did you get hurt?"

"How's Sev?"

"Is it really bad?"

"Is he going to live?"

"What happened?"

"Where's Sirius?"

"Did he get hurt too?"

Came the catapult of questions as the other Halfway House members reached their brother and sister. Sorrel latched on to Lily's waist and refused to let go. Lily sniffled, and Sam tightened his grip on her hand. "Someone… Someone threw red mandrake into Sev and Sirius' cauldron."

A lot of people gasped. Red mandrake was known to mix badly with almost every other potion ingredient. It caused disaster in classrooms.

"Sev… The ceiling collapsed on him. Sirius is fine, mostly. He has a bruised back and sprained ribs, so he's got bandages around his chest but otherwise he's ok. Physically at least."

"And Severus?" Daniel asked gently, and everyone's grip got tighter onto whoever they were holding, because they were all holding someone. Sam took a deep breath.

"He has four broken ribs and two fractured, a slightly cracked skull, a break in his jaw, five broken leg bones, three broken arm bones, a fractured hip, a broken shoulder, sprained ankles, sprained wrists, cuts to the head, chest, legs, arms and hands, bruises everywhere and Madam Pomfrey is afraid of internal bleeding."

Everyone in the hall gaped at him, unable to believe such a horror had unfolded in just a day. "Sirius is refusing to leave him. He's blaming himself for what happened, but he will not leave Sev's side." Lily added quietly, "We tried to get him to come down to dinner but I swear there is a sticking spell on his and Severus hand, we couldn't even get him to let go."

Regulus looked, possibly, the worst. But he was the one do stand straight and ask the question that no one really wanted to ask, "If Sev going to live?"

The whole of the hall waited with baited breath, watching a tear roll down Lily Evan's pale face, "We don't know." She said quietly, and a new round of sobs echoed, "Madam Pomfrey is calling St. Mungo's for help right now; she said she needs to do scans of… Scans of…" Lily trailed off and shook her head. Everyone understood why she didn't want to go on.

"Who did it?" Daniel's icy voice broke through the sobs, as he quickly turned to face the rest of the school with blazing eyes, "WHO DID IT?" He screamed.

"Daniel…"

"NO!" He screamed, "Now I am swearing this right now. I am going up to the hospital wing right now, I am going to talk to Sirius about who exactly threw that red mandrake, and then I am going to owl my mother and I am going to take great pleasure in watching you get your eyes _ripped_ out. _How dare you!_ HOW DARE YOU! Did you think you'd get away with it? Did you think there would be no consequences? I swear if you're ripped limb from limb by my brothers and sisters that will not be enough."

"It was the Marauders." Lily's voice said, but even she was surprised she had spoken, "Just before the ceiling collapsed Sev was arguing with Potter, asking what he had thrown in their cauldron." She paused, "But I don't think Lupin did anything."

Daniel growled and slowly turned to the Gryffindor table, and Potter and Pettigrew blanched, their faces had no colour left, they looked like the ghosts did. But much, much more frightened. "Where is Lupin?"

"Here." Remus' voice said clearly, he was sitting half way done the table from James and Peter, "And yes, they did do it. Professor Dumbledore I can swear that it was James that threw the red mandrake into Snape and Sirius' cauldron."

There were gasps from all around the hall as one of the Marauders turned against their own, James yelled out, "HOW DARE YOU LUPIN! ARE YOU GOING TO BECOME A TRAITOR LIKE BLACK NOW? HUH?"

"OH GIVE IT A REST JAMES!" Remus screamed back, and everyone was extremely taken aback. No one had ever seen the usually calm and gentle Gryffindor get angry, "You nearly KILLED someone! You promised that spell wouldn't do any harm! You swore you were just playing a prank!"

"I didn't mean for that to happen!" James yelled back, effectively giving himself away. No one saw Robin get her wand out. "I didn't know the ceiling was going to collapse!"

"I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WOULD BE SO STUPID AS TO BRING RED MANDRAKE INTO A POTIONS LAB AND THROW IT IN SOMEONE'S COULDROM, SO THAT MADES TWO OF US BEING SURPRISED TODAY!" Remus fumed, "YOU COULD HAVE KILLED SNAPE, JAMES! DO YOU HAVE A WISH TO GO TO ASKABAN?"

James sneered, "So you're turning against me as well? Against your brothers?"

Remus was seeing red, "I am not turning against my brother. I am going to my brother." He stood up and threw his bag over his shoulder.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

Remus had started walking out of the hall but he turned and took a few steps forward, towards James, "I am going up to the hospital wing, I am going to tell Sirius what happened and who did it. And then I am going to ask, no, _I am going to beg_ for his forgiveness. I will _beg_ on hands and knees, that he take me back as a friend and only hope that he does. And if he doesn't, I will understand because after today, I'm pretty sure that if I was him, we three would already be dead!" After thundering that last sentence, he strode from the hall.

Everyone was shocked into silence. The Halfway House kids had a new found respect for Remus Lupin. And then all their wands were pointed at two beings at the Gryffindor table.

"Now, now, boys and girls." Dumbledore said, "There is no need for violence. Now we have a verbal confession, Minerva I will leave it up to you. These boys are in my house."

"Not anymore." Professor McGonagall said coldly, her expression stern and unwavering, "Peter Pettigrew and James Potter, as head of Gryffindor House and deputy headmistress of Hogwarts; you are hereby expelled from Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry."

There were a hundred shocked gasps echoing around the hall, and Peter and James mouths hung wide open. McGonagall did not stop there.

"I will inform the ministry of your actions, it is their decision whether or not to bring in the aurors. Your parents will be notified immediately," She sent a pointed glare at Horace Slughorn, and the man scampered away immediately, "and you will take leave of this castle before the sun is up. I am _ashamed_ to have ever had you in my house. But now, in front of everyone, I wish to know why you did such a horrible and horrendous thing. NOW."

James and Peter's lips stayed white with horror but closed. Then they dropped to the floor.

They were watched in both amusement and confusion, as they looked like they were having fits. Pain fits, not laughing fits. Peter already had tears down her face and James' were screwed shut. It was deeply satisfying for most. Peter cried out in pain, clutching his side.

"That is enough Ms Neils." McGonagall said eventually, and Robin, breathless and with pained eyes, dropped her wand. Everyone stared at her as she walked over to the two Gryffindor's and spat on them, gladly stepping on their fingers for good measure before stalking back to her family.

"I didn't want them to leave without knowing the pain we are all going through right now." Robin said determinedly. One person clapped, and soon the whole school was cheering her. She stood tall, with Sam's arm around her, the other around Lily. "Sir, may we all be excused from dinner so we can go see our brothers?"

"Yes you may, would you like me to send a message ahead to Madam Pomfrey to warn her you are going, and to evict Mr Lupin?"

"Please, send a message warning her of twenty students filing into the hospital, but ask her not to let Remus leave." Lily jumped in, "I would like to speak to him. I think we all would."

Dumbledore nodded and a patronus in the form of a bumblebee appeared. He told it the message and it 'buzzed' out of the hall. Professor Slughorn entered, "The Potters and the Pettigrew's are on their way here as we speak, Sir. I told them briefly what had transpired, but I think they would like to see their sons and get the full story."

Dumbledore quickly agreed and told the Halfway Kids, "Go. Go be with your brothers now. I sent that message to Eileen several hours ago. I suspect she is in a concealed meeting for her not to be here, but I suspect it will not be long before she does appear. Go."

At their headmasters instruction, the Halfway House family all but ran to the hospital wing. They quietly opened the doors and looked in.

Severus was lying on one of the far beds. He was bandaged everywhere and from the skin that was not covered; they could see the damage to him was extensive. It was easy to see that he had had so many broken bones. It looked like Madam Pomfrey had healed most of them, but probably was too drained to do them all. It took powerful healing magic to re-mend bones.

One of Severus' arms was outstretched, the hand of which Sirius Black was tightly clutching in his own hand. Sirius sat next to the bed, looking deep in concentration as Remus Lupin talked to him, who was looking a little desperate.

"-know you will probably hate me. But please Sirius, I promise you, I never knew what they were planning. I would be willing to swear on wizard's oath. And about what you, uh, told Severus, I understand that now. I understand he worked it out and you didn't tell him. I… I forgive you for that. He spoke to me, a few days ago, saying he wouldn't tell anyone. Sirius, I am begging for you to forgive me…"

When Sirius did not respond, but continued to look down at his lap, Remus nodded stiffly and got up, "I understand that you cannot do such a thing. I hope you do, forgive me that is, in the future." He added very quietly, so quiet that the Halfway House kids nearly didn't hear, "I really miss you Sirius."

When he turned around and started to walk away he saw everyone, and hastily rubbed his eyes, trying to hide the fact that tears were welling up in his amber orbs. "Wait!" Sirius said suddenly, and he reluctantly let go of Severus' hand to step nearer to Remus, he hesitated, "I… I forgive you." Remus' eyes widened to an impossible size, as Sirius smiled at him, "I missed you too Remus."

Remus lurched forward and practically tackled Sirius in a hug. The former Black heir let out a bark of laughter and hugged his friend back tightly, burrowing his head in the werewolf's shoulder. There were whispers of 'Aw!' and 'Cute' and 'Good, he's alright"' among those standing the doorway, watching the scene with misty eyes.

"I'm so sorry for what they did." Remus said quietly, and Sirius sniffled a little.

"It wasn't your fault. You didn't know." It was then that Sirius noticed everyone in the door and smiled, "Come in guys, don't just stand there." His voice was a little weak and everyone surged forward.

"Are you ok?" They all asked worriedly, and Sirius nodded.

"Sev pushed me out the way before I could get hurt. I did the wall which hurt my back and somehow my ribs."

Robin grinned suddenly, "By the way, the Marauders just got expelled from Hogwarts, courtesy of one Minerva McGonagall." Remus went very, very white, "Oh no, not you Remus. As soon as you stood up to the Marauders I stopped thinking of you as a Marauder, that was very brave, what you did, telling everyone that it was your friends that did _this_."

Remus blushed and someone sniggered, "They're not my friends anymore." Remus said shyly, not liking the fact everyone's eyes were on him.

Robin nodded in agreement. She stood by him and took his hand in her own, Remus' blush increased tenfold, "True. You're our friend now."

"Will you two please stop flirting?" Said a croaky voice, and everyone turned as Severus opened his eyes, blinking to adjust to the light and attempting a small smile.

"SEV!" They all screamed, and Sirius clambered onto the bed next to his boyfriend and kissed him. Severus chuckled and let Sirius take his hand, smiling reassuringly.

"Are you ok?"

"Does it still hurt?"

"Do you want us to get Poppy?"

"Did you hear the Marauders got expelled?"

"We were all dead worried!"

"What you did was so brave!"

"Hold on!" Severus said, then tried to reach for his water. Sirius helped him sit up a little a got the water, helping him drink as one of his wrists was cut deeply and the other still broken, "I'm ok, yes it still hurts but that's to be expected, no don't get Poppy she's probably exhausted by this amount of healing magic, and WHAT?"

"The Marauders got expelled." Regulus said helpfully, he sat in the chair on the other side of the bed, "I'm so glad you're ok."

Severus smiled, "Me too. But to address the matter of the Marauder's getting expelled, Remus are you expelled?" Remus looked stunned at the use of his first name, so Severus explained, "You're here and not getting killed, and you were just flirting with Robin, which means you and Sirius are friends again. So I can call you Remus."

"We were not flirting!" Robin said, her tone said 'and that is final!', but Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Fine, you were flirting with him, it was one way flirting. Happy now?"

Robin spluttered and turned as red as Remus had, looking at the floor with her arms crossed. "Uh, no, I'm not expelled," Remus hesitated, "Severus."

"Call me Sev."

"Ok, Sev." Remus smiled, "No, it's just Peter and James that are expelled. Thank goodness. It's going to be a very empty dorm room." He joked and everyone looked between jealous and sympathy. They would have loved their own space, but they wouldn't give Halfway up for anything.

Severus laughed softly, "Leather?" He said, and the young girl came forward, smiling at him, "Could you do me a big favour and go get Professor McGonagall?"

Leather nodded quickly and scampered off. Everyone else looked confused, "Why'd you want Minnie?" Sirius asked, "Why not get your own head of house?"

"You'll see." Severus said, then tightened his grip on Sirius' hand, "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Thanks to you." Sirius smiled, "You saved me." He leant forward and the pair hugged, Remus couldn't conceal a smile.

"I have to admit, seeing you two up close, you make a really good couple." He admitted and they all laughed. Robin hadn't let his hand go and gripped it closer. She smiled up at him and he smiled back. Severus and Sirius looked at each other, knowingly.

Leather ran back into the hospital wing, she said, "Professor McGonagall says she is very happy and relieved that you are ok and awake. At the moment, she is in Professor Dumbledore's office awaiting the arrival of Potter and Pettigrew's parents, but once she is done there both she and the Headmaster will be here to talk to you about what happened."

…..

"HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID?" Olivia Potter thundered at her son, who shrank in his seat, "HOW COULD YOU BE SO IDIOTIC? ANSWER ME JAMES POTTER OR SO HELP ME MERLIN-"

"Perhaps," Professor McGonagall cut in, not looking at all fazed about the screaming mother beside her, "We should hear Mr Potter and Mr Pettigrew's explanation for their actions? I myself have not heard it."

Charles and Olivia Potter stared down at their son, white faced and shaking with anger. They had both met Sirius and loved him; they couldn't understand what had happened. Nothing was made better by the fact Charles Potter was the head of the auror department at the Ministry of Magic.

Newton and Fiona Pettigrew looked much the same, white faced with shock but shaking with unheard anger. They had remained silent, which only served to make Peter more terrified as he and James sank further down into their chairs.

"Snivellus deserved it."

There was a load smack as Olivia slapped her son around the face, looking ever angrier. James looked shocked that his mother had hit him, and his cheek burned red, "For doing what?" Olivia seethed, "Living? Breathing? Dating your best friend and _making him happy_? WHAT EXACTLY MADE HIM DESERVED POSSIBLE DEATH JAMES CHARLES POTTER?"

"HE'S A GOOD FOR NOTHING DEATH EATER, A SLIMY SNAKE OF A SLYTHERIN WHO SHOULDN'T BE DATING SIRIUS!"

"SO HE MAKES YOUR FRIEND HAPPY AND THAT WARRANTED DEATH?"

"I DIDN'T KNOW THAT EXPLOSION WOULD HAPPEN!"

"THEN YOU ARE AN IDIOT AND A STUPID, ARROGANT AND SELFISH ONE AT THAT!" Olivia screamed, fighting the urge to once again slap James. "CHARLES, DEAL WITH YOUR SON." She started towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Professor Dumbledore asked, rising in his seat.

Olivia stared at him, "I suppose the hospital wing has not changed its place in the castle? No? Then I am going to go and see Sirius and check that poor boy he is dating is ALIVE."

"We know he's alive, Leather came in." Peter grumbled, earning himself a glare from his mother and father. He promptly shut up.

Professor Dumbledore sighed, "Mrs and Mr Pettigrew, what do you have to say on this… this horror your son has helped towards?"

Newton clenched his fists, he said, "How many injuries did the Snape boy obtain from this horror?" Dumbledore gladly listed them again, and Newton turned towards Peter, "You are stupid, an idiot, a horror in its own making and I cannot _believe_ you did something like this. Did you really do all of this just because you don't want Sirius Black, your supposed old friend, to be happy? Because if you did, I am appalled with you, I am appalled any way but _why_?"

"We want him to be happy just not with-"

"Potter I am trying to talk to my son, not to you. Kindly shut up." Newton said, with narrowed eyes. James gaped at him and immediately turned to his father for support, but Charles nodded and his eyes gained a little mirth in them. "Peter?"

"He lied to us! We want him to be happy, just not with Snape." Peter spat the name, "He's a Slytherin."

"So?"

"So what?" Peter asked, confused.

"Why does that warrant death? Because he's a Slytherin?"

"Well, no, but-"

"What do you think of your Auntie Marigold?"

"She's lovely and I love her but what does that have to do with-"

"She was a Slytherin."

"WHAT?"

Fiona let out a deep sigh of breath, "I am appalled that this is what you have grown up to be, Peter." She said quietly, and Peter looked down in shame, "This is not the son I know or love. Now, we are going to the hospital wing and you are going to _apologise_ a million times to those poor boys, Slytherin or not." She stood and grabbed her son by the ear, dragging him after her. Charles did much the same with James.

Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were impressed, and keenly followed.

….

The Halfway House kids all sat around Severus' bed, talking and laughing together. Sirius sat on the edge of Severus' bed, holding his hand and Remus sat on the chair next to the bed, slightly uncomfortable but having a good time.

"Sirius!" Came a shout, and they looked up to see a woman striding determinedly into the hospital wing. Sirius grinned and got up from the bed, just in time to be practically suffocated him in a hug.

"Hey Mrs Potter!" He chirped, as Olivia held him tightly, "You ok?"

"How am I?" Olivia cried, "How are you? Are you ok? I'm very glad you weren't hurt Sirius."

"You can thank my wonderful boyfriend for that," Sirius told her, grinning back at Severus who smiled back, their eyes filled with nothing but love for each other, "He saved me. He pushed me out of the way when the ceiling collapsed."

"I wasn't going to let you get hurt." Severus said softly, reaching out his hand and Sirius took it.

Olivia smiled and said, "You must be Mr Snape." She said, and Severus nodded.

"Call me Severus or Sev." He told her, "It's nice to meet you Mrs Potter. Are you here to talk to the Professor Dumbledore about your son?"

"That no good spoiled, rotten and idiotic son of mine? Yes I am." She grinned when everyone stared at her, Sirius grinned wider. She looked around, "So who is everyone?"

"My brothers and sisters." Severus told her, and Olivia's eyes bulged from their sockets, "We don't have the same parents, though. We all live at the Halfway House. I am the son of Eileen Snape, have you heard of her? She owns the Halfway House."

Olivia nodded, as the puzzle pieces fit into place, "And Remus! I didn't see you there! What are you going here? And were you not expelled as well?" Her eyes narrowed and Remus hurried to reassure her.

"I am not expelled, I didn't know what James and Peter were planning and I am just as furious as you. I came here to ask Sirius and Severus' forgiveness, they are good enough people to give it to me." He smiled gratefully as his friend, who grinned back.

They made small talk for a while before Peter and his parents, James and his father, Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore came charging in. Newton and Charles practically threw their sons forward, crossing their arms. Daniel and half of the Halfway Kids were trying to breathe slowly in attempt to calm themselves and not jump and punch and kill the two boys.

"We're sorry for what we did." James grumbled, and then caught his mother's glance and said it louder, "We're sorry for what we did. I didn't know it would explode or anything but that's not an excuse. Sorry."

"Me too…" Peter added, "It was stupid and foolish and we shouldn't have done it. We deserve to be expelled."

The parents each gave a stiff nod, and there was silence, "Severus my boy, I believe you wished to speak to Professor McGonagall?"

Severus looked up, "Can Potter and Pettigrew Junior wait outside please?" He asked, and the two boys were promptly shut out of the hospital wing, Severus bit his lip, "Don't expel them."

"WHAT?!" Came the scream of everyone, and Severus waved his arms, then winced, to silence them.

"Think about it, if they're expelled they go to another school were no one knows what they did and they can be popular and arrogant there, end up bullying someone else. If they stay here…"

"Everyone knows what they did." Sirius grinned, getting what Severus was implying, "Everyone will hate them. They'll be outcast."

"And I'll be trying to not kill them at every turn." Robin added, "No offence." She said to the Potter's and Pettigrew's.

"None taken."

"If they stay here," Severus said, "They can't hurt anyone else, ever again, because it will be the two of them against the whole school. They won't be popular, they won't be liked, they'll be judged at every turn and be alone. Just, promise me they'll both never take another potions lesson in their life."

"I agree." Fiona said, "Let them know what it is like to be a victim."

"Let them suffer the consequences of their actions." Charles added, "I agree with what young Mr Snape has proposed."

"Any objections to this new plan?" Professor McGonagall said, amused. No one said a thing, "Excellent. Let's tell the two boys the good news, eh?"

If possible, when told they were going to be staying at Hogwarts, Peter and James looked even more horrified and terrified than they were when they found out they were expelled. James was angry when he was told he couldn't take potions, "But I need that to be an auror!"

"Tough." His father said sternly, "You will deal with the consequences of your actions James Potter."

"Could I cut in?" Remus said, "I refuse to share a dorm with them. I won't. I refuse to share a dorm with someone who tried to kill my friends." Severus smiled when Remus called him a 'friend'.

"You can move into the Halfway House dorms with us." He said cheerfully, "We'd be more than happy to have you. Right everyone?" Everyone nodded enthusiastically, "Sir, Professor's, we may need a slight expansion on the Halfway dorms."

"Easily done," Professor Dumbledore said with that damned twinkle in his eye, "But now, it is getting late. I believe that Mr and Mrs Potter, and Mr and Mrs Pettigrew should be getting going, and everyone should be leaving the hospital wing. Mr Snape has to rest."

Everyone started to protest at once, but they eventually agreed. Severus got a hug from everyone, with Lily, Regulus, Sorrel and Leather having the longest, before everyone started to leave. Sirius stayed sitting on the edge of Severus' bed, making his intentions to stay very clear.

"Mr Black?"

"I'm not leaving; I'll sleep in the hospital wing tonight." Sirius said stubbornly, "I'll get up early to be ready for tomorrow's lessons."

"Absolutely fine," Professor Dumbledore said, "But could you wait outside for a while, I need to talk to Severus in private. You can come straight back in here afterwards." Sirius hesitated, but kissed Severus' cheek and left.

"What is it Professor?" Severus asked. Professor McGonagall had left too so it was just them, Dumbledore said in the chair next to Severus' bed.

"I am so sorry my boy," Dumbledore began gently; "I have failed you. If I had stopped the bullying earlier, maybe Potter and Pettigrew wouldn't be so opposed to you and Sirius…"

Severus felt ever so awkward, but he said, "I... To be honest, Sir, I don't really mind." Professor Dumbledore looked up, interested, "I have a huge family who are the best friends I could ever have hoped for. I have a boyfriend who I love with all my heart. I have a mum who is fiercely protective and loves me, enough for two parents. Even if the bullying carried on even now, I would have all of those people. I would gladly of taken this pain again to have protected anyone of them."

"You are a very honourable man Severus Snape, a very brave and honourable man. You deserve all of those people to love you, you do." His eyes twinkled, "And I am very impressed by your plan to keep Mr Potter and Mr Pettigrew in this school."

Severus shrugged, and then winced, "I just think they should know what it is like to be the victim for once. To find out how it feels to be an outcast. To have no one on your side to protect you while the other side has everyone." He laughed, "I can't wait to see Daniel, Robin and Lily's protective nature come to light."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, "You should have seen Robin the great hall earlier, she looked pleased. She caused James and Peter some pain there."

"I didn't see then receive a potion…"

"I don't think Poppy would have given them one if they had asked." Dumbledore admitted, "I don't think I would have let her, actually. As you said, they deserve it for what they have done. We are lucky there was no one in the classroom above."

"Indeed…"

Professor Dumbledore sighed, "I will tell everyone at breakfast tomorrow that you are alive and recovering, and that Mr Potter and Mr Pettigrew will be remaining at Hogwarts. I am sure Professor Slughorn will be more than glad to set them an essay about the dangers of red mandrake."

"Professor Flitwick could ask for one about cleaning charms, for the dungeons."

"Professor McGonagall could ask for one about transfiguring bricks into sponges."

"Professor Sprout could ask for one about the red mandrake, where it is grown, how rare it is, and maybe about healing plants?" Severus suggested, grinning widely.

Professor Dumbledore nodded and laughed, "I will let them all know. I will also tell them how Mr Lupin had no part in what happened, and he should be complimented on his ability to ask for forgiveness when others could not. And get the extension done, I'll do it know so Mr Lupin can move in immediately." He said, "Goodnight my boy."

"Oh Professor, my mother, she is abroad at a conference at the moment. I can't remember the timing differences to us, but she will probably not respond to your message until tomorrow."

"Thank you for letting me know, my boy."

"And, uh, will you punish any of the Halfway members for getting, um, their own back shall we say?" Severus asked, looking a little sheepish, "I feel I should let them know if they are to be in detention, not that I think many of them will mind."

Dumbledore grinned, "I didn't hear that. I don't know what the Halfway House kids are up to. In fact, I don't think they'll be seen, by me that is, in the next few weeks. I do not know anything and it shall, most likely, remain that way. My eyesight really is getting bad you know."

Severus grinned too, "Thanks Professor."

Professor Dumbledore winked and wished him a quick recovery, before leaving, and no later had to left then Sirius ran back in. They smiled at each other. Sirius once again sat on the edge of his bed and took his hand, "Hey."

"Hey." Severus said, leaning back against the pillows, "What a day, eh?"

"You could have died Sev." Sirius said quietly, "What would I have done without you? You nearly… You could have…"

"But I didn't," Severus reminded him, "And I'm still here. You're not getting rid of me that easily Sirius Black, you're stuck with me."

Sirius leant forward and touched their foreheads together, his hand came to rest on Severus' cheek as he whispered, "I have no objections to that at all." They shared a sweet, long and loving kiss.

Later on, when Madam Pomfrey came down from her office to check on Severus, she found an amusing and adorable sight.

Severus lay back against the pillows, with Sirius curled into his side. Severus had his arms protectively circled around Sirius, one around his shoulders and one around his waist. They were peacefully asleep.

Madam Pomfrey rushed upstairs and grabbed her muggle camera, an old thing, and took a picture of them. They both had a calm smile on their faces as they slept. Madam Pomfrey smiled, she had no doubts they would be together for a very long time. But what would happen between the Marauders…

What even were the Marauders? Did they even exist anymore? Was it Sirius and Remus or James and Peter? Were they all Marauders but not together?

Only time would tell…

….

**SO! Just for reference, I called this The Great Hall and The Hospital Wing because it is where the two most dramatic things happen, the expulsion and then the apologies and the decision Potter and Pettigrew would stay, but I didn't want to name it 'The Exp****ulsion and the Apologies' so it is what it is! Hope you liked it, it's quite long compared to the other chapters and I hope to update soon! Fingers crossed! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	37. The Telling of Events and the Love

Dumbledore cleared his throat and everyone in the hall went silent under the small noise. The old and wise eyes scanned the hall. Once again, the members of the Halfway House were huddled together at the Hufflepuff table, and today Remus sat with them. The werewolf sat by Robin, and he had a faint blush on his cheeks as she talked to him. Daniel seemed very much protective of everyone, glared at anyone who looked their way.

Then his eyes strayed to the end of the Gryffindor table. James Potter and Peter Pettigrew sat together, right at the edge. There was at least two metres between them and the next people and Dumbledore smiled slightly.

"Good morning!" His voice boomed, and suddenly his eyes lost the shine, "Now, a lot of you many know what happened yesterday, but a lot of you don't. It is my job to tell you exactly what went on yesterday."

The hall was now completely silent, hanging on his words.

"Tomorrow, first lesson of the day, the 6th years had potions. I am not going to miss out on the names; those people do not deserve it. James Potter and Peter Pettigrew, for their own selfish reasons, threw red mandrake into the cauldron of Severus Snape and Sirius Black." There was a huge gasp all around the hall, "If you heard a bang or a crash yesterday morning, that was the sound of the ceiling collapsing on the potions room, bricks, stone, concrete and all." Many people had their hands over their mouths, they were crying, "In an act of bravery, Severus pushed Sirius out of harm's way, out of the way of the collapsing ceiling, taking the full blow himself. For many hours, we did not know if he would live. Thankfully, yesterday evening, Severus regained consciousness and is set to make a full recovery very soon."

"I told you, you won't get rid of me that easy." Came the dry voice of Severus Snape, who stood at the doors of the great hall.

"SEV!" Sirius' screamed, catapulting out of his seat and at his boyfriend. Severus laughed loudly as Sirius threw his arms around him, holding him close. "YOU'RE OK!"

"Sirius, stop screaming in my ear, my eardrums will burst." Severus said, kissing Sirius' lips quickly, "I'm fine."

"He is not!" Madam Pomfrey's stern voice came through, as she stormed in. Severus rolled his dark eyes, keeping Sirius close as he hugged all of his friends and brother's and sister's, "He should NOT be out of the hospital wing!"

"Then why is he?" Professor McGonagall asked, clearly amused.

"He practically ran out," Madam Pomfrey grumbled, and Severus smiled bashfully, "He heard Sirius' name and was out of bed before I could blink."

Severus' now blushed painfully; Sirius grinned widely, kissing his boyfriend's cheek, "Love you too." He chirped, laughing softly. Severus wrapped his arms around Sirius tightly, pulling him in.

"And I love you." He whispered, "And I will forever more."

Sirius smiled up at him, resting his head onto Severus' shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Remus blush as Robin laughed at something he had said, hugging him.

Sirius smirked; he needed to have a little word with his friend…

**So just a short chapter! But YAY SEVERUS IS ALRIGHT! I considered ending the story here, but realised there is more I want to write, so I'm going to continue it a little bit more… Please REVIEW ****and TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK****!**


	38. The Anger of a Mother and the Hero's

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN MY SON NEARLY DIED?"

It was the kind of entrance only one Eileen Snape could make. She stormed into the hall with a letter crumpled in one hand and the other waving in the air. Her expression clearly said 'enraged, stay clear'. Her eyes were narrowed and her lips pressed into a thin red line of anger. She stopped in the middle of the hall and put her hands on her hips, "Explain, Dumbledore, before I rip the school apart."

Many people blanched, but Professor Dumbledore smiled kindly, "Ms Snape, wouldn't you like to say hello to your son's and daughter's first?"

"I WILL DO THAT ONCE I KNOW WHO TRIED TO KILL MY SON!" Eileen screamed, and most of the hall had a smirk plastered onto their face as James and Peter turned pale. Robin laughed softly and asked for some popcorn, leaning forward to watch the show.

"I do love our mother." She murmured, and everyone quickly agreed. Severus just smiled at his mum's protective stance. She had always been so protective, so fierce when it came to her children. She had to be, to deal with threats of suing and everything else she dealt with, this was just another situation she felt as a personal attack. Anything to do with _her_ kids, was personal.

"And you do not wish to address this somewhere else?"

"NOW DUMBLEDORE!" Eileen thundered.

"Severus and Sirius had red mandrake thrown into their potions cauldron by James Potter and Peter Pettigrew." Dumbledore quickly summed up everything else as well, and Eileen nodded.

"Tell Mr and Mrs Potter, and Mr and Mrs Pettigrew they can expect my lawyers at their houses in the next few days. If they fail to compromise and communicate, I will call the aurors and watch Charles have to arrest his own son. Understood?"

"Crystal clear Eileen," Dumbledore said, shaking his head slightly as he looked down at Eileen, "It's good to see you my dear."

Eileen's angry stance faded into one of calmness and she nodded once, "And you Professor. Now, don't I get a hug kids? Or are you all going to just sit there and quietly laugh to yourself, hm? Yes, I can see all your giggling faces, get over here."

The Halfway house kids jumped up and all ran at once to Eileen, who embraced each one of them. All of them were giggling. "That was great!" Severus whispered, still limping slightly as he hugged his mother and then stepped back to take Sirius' hand in his own.

"Are you two ok?" Eileen asked seriously, looking them over.

"We're fine." Severus quickly answered, his grip tightening on Sirius' hand, "I promise, we're fine." He smiled at Sirius who grinned back, leaning into the older boy's chest.

Eileen let out a sigh, "Good." She said, "That's good."

"They were both very brave." Sorrel said, "Severus especially, he saved Sirius' life. He's a hero!" Sorrel smiled sweetly up at everyone and took Severus' other hand, "He's my hero."

Everyone cooed slightly as Severus dipped to kiss Sorrel's crown, "Thank you sweetie." He said, putting an arm around her shoulders, "Do you want to know who my hero is?"

"Sirius?"

Severus laughed, "Very close." He said, and Sirius raised an eyebrow, "It's this whole family and its ability to stay, and stick, together even in the toughest times. Through everything that's happened to all of us individually, we're still here. And everything that's happened to us together, we're still here. It's just… It's great. And thank you, because without you I wouldn't be who I am today, that I'm sure of. You're all my hero's."

There was a small pause before Robin giggled and said, "Sev that was a heck of an emotional speech you sap!"

They all burst out laughing. They thought they were always going to laugh together. They thought they were always going to be together.

Were they right?

…

**Just a short little chapter cause I felt bad for not updating in ages and I had half an hour to spare, so I hurried and wrote this! Hope you like it. As for the bit at the end… That will be revealed in further chapters! :D (actually in the very, very last one which I have planned, I just don't know how long it will take me to get there!)**


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